


Today is where your book begins

by elle_maexx, FaeMelody



Category: Waterloo Road (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-10
Updated: 2020-11-10
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:36:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 27
Words: 43,173
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23583214
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elle_maexx/pseuds/elle_maexx, https://archiveofourown.org/users/FaeMelody/pseuds/FaeMelody
Summary: What could have happened if Rachel had reacted very differently when Eddie defended her all that time ago when she faced Stuart Hordley in her office?
Relationships: Eddie Lawson/Rachel Mason
Comments: 4
Kudos: 16





	1. Chapter 1

There weren't a lot of people in Rachel Mason's life that she trusted. Her mother, certainly, her old best friend. Another girl she thought was her friend, and hadn't that been the biggest mistake of her life? But there had been none since, not completely- she was always too wary, too cautious and she had never once considered telling anyone about her past, not under any circumstances. She'd never been close enough to anyone to want to tell them.

And now here she was, putting her trust in a man she'd known only a couple of months. Eddie was a good person, she knew, and while she still couldn't quite work out how he'd gone from hating her when he'd found out about her past to working with her, she was very, very grateful for it.

She was even more grateful to know that while Stuart Hordley was hovering over her, threatening her, Eddie was just outside, listening carefully and waiting for him to implicate himself.

It was nice not to be alone.

Eddie looked so smug, glee barely hidden as he faced Hordley, laid down the gauntlet that would not only keep the man away from her, but protect her secret as well. And wasn't that something, that Eddie somehow, accepted it? Accepted her?

"You think it's a good idea, having her run this place, do you?"

Eddie met her gaze. "Yeah. I do, actually."

She couldn't stop the tiny smile she gave him- she still felt sick to her stomach, her heart was still threatening to beat right out of her chest but his words caused warmth to blossom within her, a tiny spark of light amongst all of this.

"I bet you love working for a two-bit hooker, don't you?" Hordley shot and she flinched, saw Eddie fight not to roll his eyes. "I bet she gives it to you for free."

Humiliation and shame rolled through her, nausea welling up. She wasn't sure what she expected Eddie to do- ignore it, yell maybe, perhaps swear if he was really angry. Instead, his expression darkened, and he shot her a look that she couldn't quite decipher. Part apology, part resolution, maybe? She didn't have time to work it out before he turned and rammed his fist into Hordley's face.

Rachel gasped, rising to her feet automatically. She was torn somewhere between shock and happiness, mind racing at the implications as Stuart lowered his hand to reveal a split lip. "If you wouldn't mind pissing off, Hordley, you're starting to irritate us now." Eddie's tone was far milder than she'd been expecting, but somehow, his words worked.

She had to fight not to allow a wildly inappropriate smile to spread across her lips. No one, her whole life had ever defended her, especially not against accusations like that and as Eddie turned to face her, she wasn't entirely sure what emotions her expression was showing. "Sorry," he offered insincerely, and she pressed her lips together.

"Not necessary."

"You alright?"

Yes, no, I don't know, why did you do that. She nodded slightly, not sure what she'd say if she allowed herself to speak. A slam from somewhere in the school had them both looking up. "Better make sure he actually leaves," Eddie said gruffly and she could only nod in agreement, coming around her desk and not missing the way he opened the door for her to go first.

As they stormed the school side by side, Rachel couldn't help sneaking glances at Eddie as they prepared to face Hordley again. She didn't know where he'd gone, was expecting to see him whenever she turned a corner, but stood taller and felt stronger as she walked with Eddie by her side. They only caught the back of his car as he sped away, and Rachel turned to him with worry in her eyes. "Do you think that's it? Do you think he's gone for good?" She asked, her voice trembling slightly as she hoped it to be true more than anything. But the determined look on Eddie's face settled her, and she couldn't help but be attracted to this possessive side of him that she'd seen.

Eddie also watched the car drive off, grateful that Stuart hadn't stuck around for round two. He'd of given it to him, gladly. But didn't want Rachel to have to hear any more of his awful words. "Absolutely." He hoped he was convincing, wanting her to feel as safe as possible. He would do anything for her, didn't she know that by now? He watched her bend to pick something up from the ground, and saw a sad look cross her face as she ran her fingers across what looked to be a necklace. "What's that?"

"Sameen's." The sadness seeped through her as the days emotions finally caught up to Rachel, and she turned to follow Eddie to find him waiting for her as he opened the door for her. The soft smile he gave her had her stomach flipping, which was something new. She'd been growing more attracted to Eddie as the days passed by, but had been putting her feelings to the side for the sake of her job and the fear of rejection. Only his actions earlier had lit a flame that she just wasn't able to put out, and she wasn't sure she wanted to anymore. So with a determined look on her face after a quick scan to check the car park was empty, Rachel set off towards Eddie and stopped dead in front of him. When she didn't pass through the door like he expected her too, he looked up in confusion only to have his arms full of her and her lips firmly on his.

Rachel bit the bullet, his expression only making her more determined as she pushed against him and pressed her lips to his. Luckily for her, he responded immediately and soon switched their positions so she was the one pressed against the door, his mouth covering hers as his hands rested on her waist. But it wasn't enough, especially not for her. Now she'd had a taste of what it was like to kiss him, Rachel felt it was something she'd never be able to get enough off. When air became a requirement, she pulled back and looked at him, grateful to find him looking as disheveled as she felt. "Do you always go around rescuing damsel's in distress?" She asked, her voice completely breathless and her pupils blown wide as she offered him a smirk.

"Only when I fancy the damsel." He answered cheekily, quickly swooping back down to find her lips once more.

The world around them spun and faded away as her entire focus centred on him, the feel of him against her, the warmth of his hands through her blouse. Her arms wrapped around his neck, one hand threading through his hair and he responded by pressing closer until there wasn't an inch of space between them, pinning her completely against the door.

She very much didn't mind.

It would be so, so easy to pull her back inside, Eddie thought, back to her office with its sofa and give in to what they both clearly wanted. But common sense prevailed- she would never forgive herself, and possibly not him either, not to mention that fact that this deserved more than a tumble in her office. She deserved more.

So instead, he pulled away and rested his forehead against hers as they both caught their breaths in silence. Sure enough, within a few beats her cheeks started to pinken, lip caught between her teeth as she lowered her gaze so he couldn't catch her eye. He reached out, brushed her hair back from her face to draw her back to him.

She gave him a hesitant smile, before her gaze lingered on his knuckles and he found her fingers touching his gently. "Is your hand okay?"

"It's fine," he assured her quietly. "I know how to throw a punch."

They both kept their voices soft, afraid of breaking the spell that surrounded them. He wasn't sure how something as simple as her thumb brushing the back of his hand could feel so good, but it did and he was painstakingly careful not to move, lest she pull away. "You should ice it anyway," she murmured. "It'll bruise."

"Okay," he agreed simply. She pushed herself upright, forcing him to move back.

"Come on then."

He followed her without question, obediently trailing after her to the kitchens. He hadn't been in here often, he admitted, but somehow she knew exactly which freezer held a bag of ice, and where to find the tea-towel she wrapped the cubes in. He leant against the side, allowed her to place the makeshift pack across his knuckles.

It was surprisingly intimate, standing close as she held his hand in hers. She glanced up at him, and her breath caught when she found his eyes fixed on her.

At any other time, she would have talked herself out of this. He was her deputy, they'd only known each other a few months, she simply didn't do relationships. But it was a little late for that, now, her impulsive actions earlier had seen to that and if she were honest, she didn't want to talk herself out of this.

"What are you looking at?" her voice was soft, gaze meeting his as she tried to battle the flush that arose under his gaze.

"Are you okay?"

She wasn't sure. But again, she found herself nodding at him, his hand still cocooned in hers. "I'm fine. If that's really the last we've seen of Hordley, I'm even better."

Eddie knew she was deflecting slightly, but wasn't going to let the mention of Stuart Hordley ruin their moment. He had finally gotten as close to Rachel as he'd wanted for a while now, and he was terrified with each second that passed that she was going to run. "It will be, and if it isn't?" Her eyes finally looked at him again, hopeful and hanging onto his next words as she listened to what he was about to say. "Then we will deal with that together as well. You're not alone, not anymore."

Rachel felt like she was flying, like somebody had given Eddie a list of things she always wanted someone to say to her as his words just felt too perfect. He eased any worries she had by his words, and his close presence helped a lot with that too. It was enough to draw her right back under his spell, and she moved closer to him once more with her eyes focusing solely on his lips. Only she heard someone moving towards the kitchen, and sprang away from him as if she'd been burned. She turned to find it was one of the cleaners, and ran her hand through her hair with an attempt to look causal as she gave the woman a greeting. Ignoring Eddie entirely, she let out a loud breath before starting the walk back to her office, not even needing to check that he was following her as she knew he would be.

"Rach, wait!" He called out to her, terrified that she was using this as an excuse to run. He didn't want to pretend like it hadn't happened, didn't want to go back to yearning for her from afar now that he'd gotten a taste for how good it felt to have her in his arms.

They finally reached her office, and Rachel finally turned to face him again, not shocked to find a hurt expression written across his features. "Eddie, we can't. This is a recipe for disaster." She knew her words were true, yet still hated herself for saying them and it didn't get easier when she was the way his face fell.

Eddie knew he was losing her, to her own fears and worries as she took to overthinking the situation in order to avoid getting hurt. But he wasn't one to give up on what he wanted, and proceeded to move closer to her so their bodies were pressed together once more. She reacted to him immediately, and he delighted in the shiver she gave as his hands moved to her hips. "Rachel, we can. We can deal with the consequences later. I want this, I want you." His lips were inches away from hers, dangerously close but not touching as he wanted the final decision to be hers.

"Your place?" She muttered the words so quietly that Eddie only just managed to hear her, but he followed her tongue as it traced her lips and had to bite back a groan at the sight.

He shook his head in response. "Yours is closer." He knew they needed to leave, but couldn't resist pulling her against him for one more kiss before they made the move outside, bodies stumbling together and knocking into different pieces of furniture around the office as they fumbled with buttons and jackets. It was only when he dropped his lips to her bare shoulder than he pulled away, taking her hand in his and searching the room for her bag and coat. "We need to go, now."

His hand was tight around hers as he led her out of the school, stealing kisses the entire way. They both paused in the car park, exchanging a look. "I'll drive," she volunteered, knowing that his car would attract less attention if left in the car park- it would hardly be the first time, anyone who saw it would just assume he'd gone to the pub.

Twenty seconds later and she found herself pushed up against said car, Eddie's lips on hers as he played with the hem of her top, driving her insane as the tips of his fingers occasionally brushed tantalisingly against her skin. She shivered, arching her back and felt him smirk against her.

"Get in, you," she mumbled, and he looked disappointed as he pulled away, sending another shiver down her spine.

If he'd had a knife, he could have cut the tension in the car with it, Eddie thought. He wasn't foolish enough to touch her while she was driving, but almost every part of him wanted to. They exchanged heated glances, Rachel's knuckles white as she gripped the steering wheel, and unbeknownst to her Eddie was carefully keeping his hands pressed into his thighs, half afraid of what he'd do if he didn't.

He watched her too, for any sign that she'd changed her mind. Her cheeks were pink, her breathing a little faster than usual but he didn't see any hesitation, any uncomfortableness in the looks that she gave him.

He was sure the drive to her house was hours longer than usual.

She didn't even bother to grab their bags from the boot, simply headed straight to the front door, fingers trembling as she inserted the key into the lock. She was acutely aware of him behind her, thought she could practically feel the heat radiating off of him, however impossible she knew that was.

He closed the door behind him, noting the way she'd paused in the hallway, before she turned to look at him with something close to apprehension on her face. He stepped forwards, caught her hands in his and raised them to his lips. "Whatever you want," he assured her. She smiled then, stepping forward to brush her lips teasingly lightly against his.

"And if that's you?"

He grinned. "Whatever you want," he repeated, and their mouths crashed together once again.


	2. Chapter 2

As Rachel lay in bed what felt like hours later, she felt the regret start to seep in as her head began to catch up with her heart. It could have been hours for all she knew, lost in the feel of Eddie's body against hers and the way he was making her feel. Although now as he lay beside her, she was debating whether to ask Eddie to leave with hopes that they could still salvage what was left of their professional relationship, when she felt his hand sneak around her waist and pull her even closer than she thought possible. His lips were pressed against her shoulder, peppering kisses on her salty skin as he let out a content sigh.

"You're stressing." His words caused vibrations against her skin, and her body shivered in a reaction at the close proximity of them.

All rational thoughts immediately rushed from her head as she moved her body back against him, delighting in the feel of his strong arms firmly wrapped around her and making her feel safe in what felt like the longest time in forever. His actions earlier had made her feel protected, like she finally had someone fighting her corner and wanting to stand up for her. She didn't want to rush ahead of herself, but looked over her shoulder at him in amazement at how well he seemed to know her. "How did you know that?" She questioned, trying but failing to hide the smirk as she caught sight of the rose coloured tint that was still present on his cheeks.

Eddie almost rolled his eyes, but stopped when he realised the seriousness of the conversation. Rachel meant what she said, and he didn't want to turn this into a joke. He didn't want her to think he was only in this for the physical side of their relationship, but also didn't want to scare her off either. "I know you Rach, and I want to get to know you even better, for the record." He offered her a warm smile, hoping she was able to see just how serious he was as he gazed at her with as much emotion in his eyes as he could muster. Seeing her so upset earlier at Stuart's words had caused his outburst, furious at the way she was being spoken to and about. He would do whatever it took to shield her for any further hurt that Stuart Hordley, or anyone else for that matter, wanted to throw her way. "You're worried about Stuart, and this, about us. I bet you've already imagined the words Steph would say if she found out."

Rachel couldn't hide her laugh at that, and turned to face him fully as she placed a hand against his cheek, stroking over his jawline with her thumb as she listened to him speak.

"I want to go at your pace, whatever you want, whatever makes you comfortable. If you want to forget this? I can try." He didn't want to make any promises he couldn't keep, as he knew how hard it would be to truly pretend this hadn't happened. Especially as he'd had a taste for what it felt like to have her lips against his, and would hate to never feel as alive as he currently did ever again.

"I don't know," she whispered, and immediately felt guilty when she saw the tightening of his jaw that he immediately tried to hide. She'd hurt him, even though she knew he'd deny it to the bitter end. "Eddie… I don't do this. Not ever. My whole career, I've fought to make sure there hasn't been even a whisper that could come back on me and that's meant that I don't…" She waved her hands, looking frustrated as she tried to put her meaning into words.

"You've been Miss Mason for so long you've forgotten how to be Rachel," he said quietly, and she stilled, before giving a single, reluctant nod.

"I have forgotten how to have a life outside of school," she admitted. "And if I'm honest, it's never much bothered me before now."

"But it's starting to?"

Suddenly, she was painfully aware of just how close they were laying, of how warm his hand was where it rested on her waist, of his gaze flickering between her eyes and her lips and she swallowed thickly, liquid heat pulsing through her. She bit her lip, nodded in answer to his question and saw his lips twitch as he fought to keep the happiness from his expression.

"Good." His lips captured hers, and she knew she was lost. There was no way she could go back now and certainly no way she could forget about the way this made her feel- the way Eddie made her feel.

They ended up with their legs entwined, Eddie hovering over her, arms on either side of her and with anyone else she would have felt trapped. But she didn't, staring up at him as she caught her breath. "I know this frightens you," he murmured, "I meant what I said, we'll go as slow as you need. But Rachel, if you can do what you did this afternoon, I'm not sure what you're so afraid of. You're extraordinary."

Her cheeks immediately flushed pink as she looked away. "I'm really not."

"Yes, you are. You risked breaking the law for Sameen, you faced Stuart Hordley and don't think I didn't see you comforting Danielle and the other kids."

"Anyone would have done that."

"No, they wouldn't." His voice was soft and held a note that had her glancing at him uncertainly. She tensed slightly, an icy feeling trickling down her spine and Eddie looked like he was about to question her; before he could, she arched up and kissed him again, a hand around the back of his neck pulling him down as she stopped both of them thinking for a while.

They needed to tear themselves away from each other at some point, purely because Eddie needed fresh clothes and a shower before facing a sea of children the next day. He could only imagine the gossip it would cause if he turned up with a rumpled shirt and in the passenger seat of the headmistresses car. He took a taxi home, but made the poor driver wait for his income as he kissed the life out of Rachel on her doorstep, neighbours be damned when she was pressed against the wall and her lips felt like heaven against his. Finally left alone to her own thoughts, Rachel found herself surprisingly happy and not feeling as concerned as she probably should be. She felt like she was floating, drifting from room to room with no real purpose as she absentmindedly tried to make the place look tidier for no real reason other than to occupy her mind. The smile seemed to be permanently fixed on her face, her cheeks almost hurting as she played over their encounter in her head. She hadn't let anyone this close to her in the longest time, and it felt so surreal to have someone fighting her corner and defending her honour. She usually found pride in being so independent, yet wanted to rely on Eddie to be by her side as someone to share her worries with.

Not realising just how long her and Eddie had spent in each other's company, Rachel decided she needed to shower and get herself ready for bed, needing a mental pep talk for how to deal with the next day. She hoped there would be so awkwardness, but didn't know how she was going to handle being in the same room as his most of the day whilst having the memories of what it felt like to have his body against hers. For someone who often chastised the children for acting lovesick, she suddenly felt the need to apologise to each and every one as she was beginning to understand. She knew she'd began to develop feelings for Eddie some weeks ago now, but didn't know how deep they truly went until the moment he leapt to her defence only that afternoon.

Her thoughts were interrupted by her phone, a notification of a message that had her heart racing when she saw Eddie's name.

EL: Are you awake?

RM: No...

EL: Ha ha, very funny. Too busy thinking about me?

RM: I'd never admit that, your ego is big enough.

EL: I'll take that as a yes. Me too..

RM: Flattery will get you everywhere.

EL: Will it get me dinner on Saturday night? I should have asked earlier, but you distracted me.

RM: Maybe, if you're lucky.

EL: I'll keep my fingers crossed. Sweet dreams Rach x

RM: Goodnight Eddie x


	3. Chapter 3

Waking up with a smile on her face was a rare occurrence, yet Rachel found herself practically jumping out of bed in her haste to get to work. And if she took longer that morning to choose an outfit and put on an extra coating of mascara, who was going to judge her? She kept herself busy in the office until she heard the telltale sound of Eddie's footsteps, ensuring her eyes were focused firmly on her laptop screen as he walked into her office. "Good morning Mr Lawson." She commented, not looking up as she bit her lip to hide her smirk.

"Ah yes, morning Miss Mason." Her actions didn't go unnoticed by him, and he quickly slipped behind her chair so he could bend down to whisper in her ear. "Can you stop doing that with your lip? It's distracting."

That only caused her to smile wider, and therefore bite her lip harder in an effort to stop. "You're not one of the kids. Behave."

Instead of replying, he spun her chair around and swooped down to press his lips to hers. And the second he did, any protests she might have had flew right out of her head. He drew back just enough to talk, smiling wickedly. "How's that for behaving?"

"Do me a favour, and don't do that in front of the kids," she joked weakly, teeth worrying her lip. He groaned.

"What did I just say about that?"

"Mind out the gutter," she said lightly, hiding her grin.

A bang from the outer office had them jumping apart. Rachel recovered first, taking a deep breath as she swivelled her chair back. "Morning Bridget!"

"Good morning!"

She turned back to Eddie, who was watching her intently and she flushed, trying not to squirm in her seat. "What?"

"Nothing." He ran a finger down her jaw, but backed away when she shot an anxious look towards the door. "Does that smile mean you decided to stop being afraid?"

His voice was so quiet she almost had to strain to hear it. "It means I'm in a good mood," she shrugged. "Maybe I'm confident today will be a good day."

Her lips curved upwards, and he watched the movement that seemed all the more prominent thanks to the gloss coating them… and by default, probably his, he thought ruefully, and wanting nothing more than to kiss the rest of it away as well.

"How're your knuckles?" Rachel asked quietly, having watched the emotions play over his expression. He looked surprised, looking down at his hand as if he'd forgotten all about it.

"Perfectly fine," he assured her, but wasn't about to complain when she took it in her own to look at. The knuckles were barely bruised, she noted, more a dusting of colour on them. "Told you."

"You shouldn't have punched him, Eddie. Not because of me."

"On the contrary, I'm beginning to wish I'd punched him harder. Broken his nose or something."

She frowned at him. "You split his lip. If he goes to the police-,"

"He'll have to explain why I punched him," he interrupted gently. "And that would lead to all sorts of questions he won't want to answer. Don't worry so much, Rach. Everything's fine now."

But somehow, she doubted it.

"Eddie, where are we going? You said dinner!" She tried for what felt like the hundredth time since she'd gotten in the car, begging him to let her in on his secret. When he'd asked her out for dinner, she'd expected just that. She had spent the last few days of the week preparing her outfit and fighting off his advances with the promise of making him wait until Saturday night. It had been torture for both of them, but she'd also enjoyed the chase of it all, thrilled with the flirting and heavy looks they seemed to give each other when they were together. Only when Saturday rolled around, she didn't have the time she had expected. He'd rang her at midday, told her to pack her outfit into a bag and dress casual as he was on his way to pick her up. The phone disconnected after that, not allowing her to ask any questions as she looked around the room in a panic. She'd only just emerged from the bath, having planned on a leisurely afternoon of slowly getting ready with a glass of wine. It was just after 2pm so she was far from being at the stage she wanted to be at when she next saw Eddie. She planned on wow-ing him with a dress her favorite shade of blue and shoes that showed off her legs to their maximum potential. Now she found herself throwing said dress and shoes into a bag and putting on the nicest jumper she owned, hoping she had remembered to pack her mascara in her makeup bag as she heard a knock on the door. Eddie refused to answer any of her questions, only told her she looked beautiful and walked her towards his waiting car. She blushed at the compliment, but it didn't stop her trying her hardest to get some clues.

Eddie's plan had firmly been put into place as soon as Rachel agreed, and he'd set about making sure it went off without a hitch in the days that followed. He knew Rachel wouldn't want to risk being seen by staff or students, so had planned something even better than a restaurant just outside the city centre. St Anne's beach was only an hours drive away, so he figured he'd give the kids a run for their money and take a stab at an afternoon on the arcades before checking into a hotel and giving Rachel an evening out that didn't involve being scared that they'd run into the likes of Bolton Smilie and his crew. But he wasn't going to tell Rachel his plan, not yet anyway. He was having far too much fun watching her guess at every signpost they drove past, but ignoring any suggestions she made. "It's a secret Rach, don't you trust me?" He raised a brow at her, leaning over to take her hand and entwine their fingers whilst they drove down a long stretch of road.

Rachel took their joint fingers and lifted his hand to her lips, pressing a kiss there. The excitement had her feeling like a child on Christmas morning, and she found herself honestly answering his question. "I do trust you Eddie." It was the first time she'd admitted that, and truly meant it in a long time. She wasn't known for being trusting, not with where that had gotten her in the past. But with Eddie, she felt safe. Even now and driving into the unknown, she knew he would always make sure she felt comfortable. "I'm still angry though, I had an outfit planned and everything."

Eddie looked over, taking in the sight of her still damp hair and comfortable jumper that she'd chosen. She looked stunning to him, and he felt grateful that he was able to see her outside of work and looking so relaxed and domesticated. "You look perfect."

Her cheeks heated and she quickly looked away, shifting uncomfortably in her seat. He wasn't sure whether to be amused or exasperated at her reaction, so settled for a mixture of both as he mentally made a note to compliment her more often. "Can I ask you something?"

"If you like." She shot him a grin.

"Why did you kiss me, that first time?"

The flush which had been disappearing from her face was instantly back, and even stronger than before as she squirmed. "Does it matter?"

He glanced at her. "A little," he admitted.

She sighed, chewing her lip as she tried to figure out what to say. "It wasn't really planned," she muttered, and he chuckled.

"That much I knew."

When she didn't say anything else he glanced over to her, noticed how uneasy she looked. "Rach, I'm not trying to make you uncomfortable," he said gently. "I just wanted to understand. It was the last thing I was expecting."

She was silent for a long moment. "You're the first person who has ever stood up for me like you did," she said softly, not looking over to him. "When you told me that you knew about my past… at best, I hoped you could pretend you didn't know and we'd just carry on with an undercurrent of awkwardness neither of us mentioned. At worst, you'd expose me yourself and I'd lose everything."

"I would never have done that!" he protested, the car jerking as her comments took him by surprise. "I was angry you'd lied for a while there, but I'd never have-,"

"I know that now!" she interrupted quickly. "But at the time… at the time I wasn't sure."

He pulled over into a layby, turning to look at her. He hadn't quite expected the conversation to take this turn when he'd started it.

"The last thing in the world that I expected was for you to help me," she continued quietly. "Let alone stand up for me against Hordley and especially not in the way you did!"

Eddie looked at Rachel, realising just how much she meant her words. She truly had never felt support from anyone else, and it broke his heart into pieces. He cupped her face in his hands, running his thumb across her cheekbone as he looked right at her. "I'm so sorry with the way you've been treated in the past." He felt the need to apologise, wanting him to know that her past did not define her and wouldn't define her future either. "If I could take back all the damage that other people have done, I would in a heartbeat." He promised, being rewarded with a soft smile from her that he accepted gladly. "But I can only promise that I'm not like them, and prove that to you every day from now."

"Don't you see Eddie? You already have." She answered, her voice only a whisper as if revealing her darkest secret. "That's why I kissed you, because you've cared more for me these past months than anyone ever has. I'm not used to that." Rachel felt her face heat up with both embarrassment and anger as she thought of her past, annoyed with how it had made her react to things such as relationships. She didn't know how to react to these situations, always expected the worst from people and ran before they had chance to prove her wrong. Only with Eddie, she didn't want to run. And she also had a sneaky suspicion that he would be chasing right behind her and making sure she couldn't get away anyway. That thought alone made her heart sour, and she hoped she could convey her feelings to him in the truest of ways.

"I know you're not." Eddie admitted, and it was true. If he'd learnt anything about Rachel since meeting her it was that her guard was built up sky high around her. He knew from the day he met her that it would take something special and some hard work to get behind the walls she'd put around her for so long, but he was more than willing to try. "But I want to show you that I'm not going anywhere. I want to know everything, past present and future. Whatever you'll tell me, whatever you want to share, I'll be listening. And fighting your corner." He promised, knowing that she appreciated his words even if she couldn't voice that when a stray tear rolled down her cheek. He caught it with his thumb and leant over the car to plant a soft kiss to her lips, delighting in the fact he was able to do that now so openly. "Anyway, lets get on shall we? We have places to be, and you still don't even know where we're going."


	4. Chapter 4

And what places they were. To Eddie's delight, Rachel didn't think his idea was childish or silly, but took to the arcade immediately, where he was amused to discover a competitive streak he'd only seen hinted at before. He was easily drawn in and it wasn't long before they were vying over everything, even the machines that weren't that competitive.

Eddie crowed triumphantly as a dozen coins fell over the edge of the coin pusher, scooping them into his tub and waving them at Rachel. "Beat that!"

She quirked an eyebrow, and silently showed him her half-full tub. He wilted. "Damn it. How'd you do that?"

"Talent."

"Bloody cheek!"

She laughed, and planted a kiss on his cheek. "Face it, love, I'm just better at it than you."

"We'll see about that!" He grinned at her, hoping she didn't notice the joy and glee that was exploding through him at her endearment. He wasn't a fool- he could see she was opening up around him and it took everything he had to quell his emotions at that to avoid drawing her attention to it. Because he was positive that if she was aware of it, she'd make a concerted effort to stop.

They started up again, pushing coins into the machine and even competing to see who could do that the quickest, laughing at each other's attempts. Rachel won a lolly that fell out, which she promptly popped into her mouth.

Ten seconds later, Eddie was cursing her. He had no idea if she was doing it on purpose, but she was being incredibly distracting as she played with the lolly stick while waiting for the coins to fall, swirling her tongue around sweet and occasionally hollowing her cheeks as she sucked. He groaned quietly.

Apparently, not quietly enough. She looked up curiously. "Are you okay?"

"Just fine."

Even to his own ears, his voice sounded slightly strangled and he concentrated on feeding a coin in, knowing the tips of his ears were turning red as she stared at him curiously. She was out to kill him, he decided, mistakenly glancing up just as she slipped the lolly back between her lips.

Definitely out to kill him.

She knew what she was doing of course, and was having a real fun time of making him squirm as she pulled the sweet from her mouth for the fifth time that minute. She wasn't even really enjoying the taste of it, but was definitely enjoying the look on Eddie's face and the fact he had to look away from her whenever she tried to make eye contact. Feeling carefree and like she could truly be herself in their new setting, she walked towards him as he settled on a new machine and bumped her hip to his. "Come on Lawson, let's find some dodgems."

Eddie would be lying if he said he wasn't loving this side of Rachel, how carefree and at home she seemed to be in his company without having to check over her shoulder for students every 30 seconds. And he would accept this torture every day if it meant getting to witness the glorious smile that was currently gracing her face. "You know exactly what you're doing Mason." He pushed away from his machine and circled his arms around her, pulling her close to him so she could get a slight hint of what she was doing to him.

Rachel opened her eyes wide, blinking at him innocently whilst taking the lolly from her mouth once more. "I just don't know what you mean." She grinned playfully after speaking, taking his hand and pulling along after throwing the sweet in the nearest bin. "No more teasing, I promise."

The look on her face had Eddie wishing he got to see this side of her all the time, and pulled her back towards him to land his lips on hers. This time it was her turn to be surprised, but she melted into the kiss all the same. The dance was so familiar despite being so new that both felt there was some part of fate involved, because how is it possible for another person to feel so perfect? "What was that for?" Rachel asked as she pulled away, completely breathless and her cheeks flushed a deep pink. They had strolled along in search of the fairground ride that Rachel suggested, but had ended up almost on the beach when their search came up empty.

"Because I can." To emphasise his point, Eddie kissed her once more before finally taking notice of their location and stopping Rachel in her tracks. "Oh no no, not until later."

Rachel furrowed her brows at him, looking around but only seeing the entrance to the beach. "The beach is on a timer?"

"No, but I have plans for you and the beach. We need to go and check in anyway, get ready for our reservation."

Eddie really had thought of it all, and Rachel found herself counting her lucky stars as she followed him into a hotel, his arms around her whilst they waited for their room key. She caught sight of them in the mirror behind the reception desk and couldn't stop her smile, they truly looked like lovesick teenagers, yet for once, she didn't care one bit.

Eddie led them upstairs, fingers entwined the entire way. "Is this okay?" he murmured and she looked at him in confusion. "One hotel room," he elaborated and she laughed.

"It's a little late now, don't you think?"

His hand landed on the small of back as he guided her into the room, and she swore she could feel his touch burning through the material of her jacket. She looked up at him, arms wrapping loosely around his neck. "So am I allowed to know the rest of your grand plan yet?"

"Nope." He popped the P as his hands landed on her hips, looking far too pleased with himself. "You need to learn to give up control, Miss Mason."

"Is that so?" Her gaze flickered between his eyes and his lips, and coherent thought promptly slammed to a halt, along with any chance of giving her a witty response. He tipped his head, her lips were a whisper away-

She pulled back, stepping away from him without warning and leaving him blinking in confusion as she headed towards the window. "The sunset will be lovely later," she commented airily.

She was teasing him on purpose, he realised, and wasn't sure whether to grumble or laugh. "It will be," he agreed roughly, and didn't see the small smirk she had at the sound of his voice, obviously affected. "I'm going to grab a shower."

She bit her lip to stop from laughing, and grabbed her makeup bag instead. Years of practice meant that by the time Eddie had stepped back into the room, he found her sliding her arms into the dress she'd brought, makeup mostly in place and her hair twisted into a knot. She glanced up at his entrance, and smiled. "Perfect timing. Could you zip me up?"

He nodded silently, mouth bone dry. It was ridiculously cliché, he knew, but for some reason the sight of the bare skin exposed by the open dress sent his brain to mars and he barely managed to grasp the zip, swallowing thickly as he carefully pulled it up. The backs of his knuckles scraped along her spine, and she hoped he hadn't noticed the way her breath caught in her throat at the sensation. She'd been intending to tease him; he'd turned the tables on her quite adeptly.

At the top, he allowed his fingers to linger for a moment before he stepped forward and pressed a kiss to the nape of her neck. "You look beautiful."

She drew in a shaky breath. "You don't look so bad yourself," she managed, but her fingers sliding through his told him that the compliment hadn't gone unappreciated. Their eyes met in the mirror, tension crackling between them and Eddie was sorely tempted to draw her into his arms. He knew that if he did, if he kissed her and touched her they wouldn't leave this room for the rest of the evening, and neither would regret it too much.

But he had a plan, and so although it was almost physically painful he stepped away, breaking their contact and knowing he was doing a terrible job of hiding his emotions.

Walking into the restaurant, Eddie was entirely glad that he hadn't been swayed to stay in the hotel after all as the look of utter joy on Rachel's face was enough to make his cheeks ache from smiling. He couldn't tear his eyes away from her, watching as she took in the scenery and made a note of everything she came across. He probably should be looking out at the view seeing as he'd booked their table especially, but he felt his view was much better as she looked out towards the sea. Yes, he'd paid extra to make sure their table overlooked the seafront, but the awe on Rachel's face was worth all the money in the world and more.

"Is this what you meant by the beach?"

He was pulled back from his trance by her question, and shook his head softly as he stood behind her to pull out her chair. "No, you'll find that part out later." He kissed her cheek softly as she took her place, making sure she was comfortable before taking his seat opposite her and marvelling in the way the sunset made her eyes shine. He felt like a walking cliche, but couldn't find it in himself to care.

Rachel felt like she was part of a movie, slipping into her seat after thanking Eddie for being a true gentleman. She found herself grateful that for once she didn't listen to the little voices in her head, that she had taken a leap of faith and followed her heart by kissing him. It had gotten them to this moment, and there's nowhere else she'd rather be. "You're sneaky." She commented, delighting in the way he looked at her as they ordered their drinks and accepting the smile he threw her way. She didn't know why he'd been missing from her entire life, but she was sure that she didn't want to spend another day without him in it.

The meal went by and time passed as the world continued around them. A natural disaster could have taken place yet neither would have paid it much attention, too focused on each other as they discussed all things from music to their childhoods. Rachel skimmed over some parts that were more painful to revisit, but Eddie wasn't going to ruin their evening and pry. Rachel refused desert, and Eddie was entirely grateful for the fact as that was involved in his later plans. So he quickly paid the bill before she could even begin to protest and took her hand as they stood up.

"Sir, your supplies?" The waiter came over with a basket, and Eddie accepted gratefully as he lead Rachel from the restaurant, not allowing her time to stop and ask questions before they were back outside and on the seafront.

When she couldn't take it anymore, she stopped them both and turned to face Eddie, eying the basket curiously and wondering what could possibly be inside. "Come on Eddie, spill." She even fluttered her lashes, something she hadn't done in years in order to try and get her own way.

Even though he was going to tell her anyway, he knew he would definitely have been persuaded with looks like that. So he let out a laugh and tugged her closer to him, laying down the basket so he could encircle her in both of his arms. "We are going to have desert, on the beach. And watch the sunset."

Rachel stared at him for so long, he began to wonder if he'd done something wrong. He was just about to ask, when he found his lips occupied by a much more pleasurable activity. "Good surprise?" he checked breathlessly, and she simply nodded, smiling as she bit her lip.

Half an hour later, she was tucked against him as the sky above them began to burn, the sea before them surprisingly calm. They'd shared dessert, but lapsed into a comfortable silence and as they lay there, Rachel didn't think she'd ever felt such an innate peace while being with another person. Everything Eddie had organised had been perfect, thoughtful and sweet and like nothing anyone had ever done for her before. But that wasn't the reason she felt like this, she recognised- it was Eddie himself. The fact that he was willing to put that much thought into it, the fact that he genuinely didn't pay her past any attention, that he knew her so well simply because he paid attention to things most people wouldn't even have taken notice of.

She should be waiting for the other shoe to drop, she knew, but couldn't find it in her. She was too happy, too content to be beside him watching the sun sink behind the waves.

"You've gone quiet," Eddie murmured, unwilling to speak louder and break the spell that seemed to have fallen over him. She turned to look at him, and he felt like he'd been hit by a truck at her expression- more open and serene than he'd ever witnessed on her, and he had to swallow thickly as his mouth dried up at the sight.

"Just enjoying the view," she answered softly. She pressed a kiss to his jaw, before settling back into her previous position.

They weren't alone on the beach by any means, but somehow it seemed as if they were the only people in the entire world. Eddie tightened his arm around her. "Part of me would like to stay in this moment forever."

He only realised he'd spoken aloud when she smiled up at him. "Me too," she agreed. She'd never really gone for the concept of perfect moments, had always thought they were something people made up to make their lives seem better.

This moment was perfect.


	5. Chapter 5

Reality seemed to smack them both in the face come Monday morning, and Rachel felt the blow of returning to work even harder this time as she reflected on her amazing weekend whilst sat in her office. She wouldn't be able to wipe the smile from her face even if she tried, thinking back to just how well her and Eddie had gotten along on their little break away. She knew they were a good match, had known that from the moment they started working together. But letting him see that personal side of her, allowing him to know her vulnerable side had been a big step for her. Her gamble had definitely paid off though, and she traced her lip for what felt like the hundredth time as she tried to remember what his lips felt against hers. She hated not waking up in his arms, having spend their Sunday morning talking all nonsense whilst wrapped up in one another. They agreed to separate on their return from their small getaway, and Rachel allowed Eddie's kisses to linger as he took her breath away once more with a heart stopping kiss on her doorstep. She almost pulled him back into her place, not wanting to let go as his lips trailed fire down her throat and her nails scratched through his hair. But she stopped it before things could escalate and they really gave her neighbours a show. They parted with the knowledge that they'd be seeing each other the very next morning, and that thought alone made it that slight bit easier.

Now, she was back to the reality of paperwork and the distant sound of students arguing drifting in through the open windows. She purposely steered herself to her office and away from Eddie's classroom, trying to convince herself that she wasn't a lovesick teenager and didn't need to see him first thing in the morning. Luckily, her good mood gave her some much needed motivation and she was well on her way to having all of her paperwork completed. That was until she heard a knock on the door, and her voice called for them to enter.

"You aren't going to believe this."

Eddie practically stormed in, and Rachel was surprised he even stopped to knock as he paced the floor of her office with feet so heavy that she thought he'd fall right through it. So much for keeping away and getting her work done. "What's happened?"

Eddie almost didn't want to tell her, but knew he wanted her to hear the news from him before she stepped foot in the staff room and found out from someone else. At least it would give her time to prepare her reaction. "Steph's currently telling everyone who will listen about her new flame."

At that, Rachel almost laughed out loud. Steph had a new flame every week, and would definitely be talking about Eddie in the staff room if he had succumbed to her many attempts of seducing him. "That's not news Eddie, that's Monday morning."

"Rach, listen. Steph is only dating Stuart bloody Hordley."

She choked on air, the pen she'd been holding slipping through her fingers and clattering to the desk. For a long moment, it was the only sound in the room as she gaped at him, his words resounding around her, echoing and teasing her. "What?" she managed weakly.

Eddie threw himself into the chair in front of her desk. "It's all she's going on about. Son of a bi-,"

"Eddie," she reprimanded him automatically. He looked abashed, falling silent as she buried her face in her hands. He watched her, a little uncertainly as he waited for her to look back up, give some indication as to what she was feeling. Thank God he'd warned her before she found out in front of someone else- he hated to think of how she would have reacted then, and whether it would have been noticed or no. Seconds ticked past, but she still didn't move and a flicker of concern ran through him. "Rach?"

She looked up, face sheet white and a hopeless, resigned expression colouring her features. "That's that then," she murmured, and he frowned.

"What do you mean?"

In some ways, Rachel thought absently, Eddie could be incredibly naïve. Almost innocent in his idealism, though not foolish by any means. It was oddly endearing. "You can't honestly think he isn't going to drop a certain piece of information into a conversation with her," she pointed out gently, unable to bring herself to snap at him in the face of his obliviousness. He looked alarmed.

"You think he would?"

"I think I can almost guarantee it."

She leant back, looking miserable and he longed to console her in some way. "He must know he'd be throwing his own business away though. We have just as much on him now."

"Maybe he knows a way to cover it up," she said tiredly. "Or maybe he just doesn't care. But I can already see it happening, Eddie. One accidental comment that Steph will push for more information on, he'll 'reluctantly' reveal what he knows and the rest of the school will know too by the next morning. I need to quit while I'm ahead."

He stiffened. "I hope you don't mean that literally."

But she nodded slowly. "I do. With a bit of luck, it'll be enough to avoid him completely ruining the school's reputation. Though I hold out less hope for mine."

Eddie was by her side in an instant, crouching down in front of her and taking hold of her hands. "Look at me." She was avoiding his gaze, too focused on making her own mind up to think about any other possibilities as she made her own mind up and set herself into her own stubborn ways. He admired how headstrong she was, but boy did he loathe it from time to time. He didn't continue until she finally lifted her head, and he took that opportunity to cup her face in his hands. "Now listen, that's not happening."

"Yes it -"

"No, it isn't." He stopped her abruptly, not allowing her to run away with her own thoughts any longer. "Have a little faith in Steph, will you?"

Rachel looked at Eddie in utter confusion, her brows furrowed together as she wondered if he had grown another head as well as make sure crazy requests. Faith, in Steph Haydock? There was probably more chance of the woman turning up and running the school than her being able to keep a secret if it was slipped to her. "I need to be ten steps ahead, cover my own back before I'm forced out of her by the two of them."

Eddie understood her fears, but didn't want her to behave irrationally and was eternally glad that he was able to tell her the news in private. "You are ahead, okay? We are ahead. You know about them now. Let's not imagine they spent the weekend exchanging meaningful stories and whispering sweet nothing to each other." He couldn't imagine either Steph or Stuart to be the romantic type, and was sure that if Stuart had let anything slip already, they would have heard more than Steph bragging about the restaurant she'd been to. "I need you here Rach, with me, okay? No more talk of leaving.. please." He pressed his forehead to hers, closing his eyes and trying not to think about how he'd be able to manage without her sat in that very chair. It was impossible to do so before, but now, after everything that had happened between them, that thought alone filled him with dread.

The sound of Eddie saying 'we' and of taking on her burdens was heartwarming, and even in her rapidly decreasing mood she couldn't stop the small smile from gracing her face. She was about to reply when another knock on the door came her way, and the pair quickly pulled back to compose themselves and avoid anyone finding them in a compromising or intimate position. As she called for them to enter, she practically rolled her eyes as Steph wandered in, a huge grin lighting up her face and threatening to split it in two. Speak of the devil, she thought. "How can I help you Steph?"

Eddie moved to stand by the door, entirely proud of how Rachel had managed to compose herself and tackle Steph with no hint of there being a problem. There she was, that was his Rachel.

"I'm just handing in these permission slips for the museum trip." The blonde passed over papers with her face now formed in a smirk, and Rachel looked them with confusion.

"Shouldn't these be going to the reception outside, and not to me?"

"Oh silly me, it must have slipped my mind. My head is in the clouds after all, after my amazing date."

"What date Steph?" Rachel's voice sounded bored, and she really didn't want to listen to the woman hype up Stuart bloody Hordley for hours on end. She never wanted to listen to Steph talk about her love live anyway, and this just multiplied that fact.

"I thought he was interested in you, but Stuart said he wanted to take me out as soon as he saw me, isn't that sweet?" If Steph looked out the window, Rachel was sure she would think the birds were singing to her as she clasped her hands together and reminded her on something from a Disney cartoon. Rachel may have even thought it was sweet, if it wasn't for the underlying sinister agenda she knew Stuart to have. She was only grateful that he hadn't let anything slip let, because Steph wasn't known for being subtle.

"Lovely. Now can I get on? You can hand Bridget these forms on your way out."

Steph knew not to expect much from her boss, and didn't let it dampen her mood as she simply collected up the forms and drifting from the room, smiling at Eddie on her way as she hadn't even noticed him in the room.

"Poor woman." He added as she left the room, the door firmly shut behind her.

"What do we do Eddie?" Her little encounter with Steph had changed her mind, and Rachel knew she didn't want to be alone in this. If Eddie was willing to stand by her side after everything he knew, she'd be entirely stupid to let that go. Plus the look Steph had on her face was the same one Rachel was sure she was sporting herself up until she heard the news, and that was entirely down to him anyway.

He leant against the desk, and sighed. "We have two options. Ride it out, hope Hordley doesn't say anything. Or try and get ahead of it somehow."

"God." She ran a hand through her hair, looking frustrated. "I don't know what to do." She looked at him helplessly. "I have absolutely no idea."

He could offer no comfort beyond cupping her face gently, silently relieved when she leant into his touch, placing her own hand over his. She closed her eyes. "I let myself believe it was over," she admitted quietly. "Silly me, huh?"

She looked up, met his eyes and he hated the utter desolation in her gaze. "We'll figure it out. Rach, I promise you, we'll fix this."

She stood up and slid into his arms even as ice pooled in her stomach. "I'm not sure we can."


	6. Chapter 6

The problem with being a teacher was that, on occasion, you were actually expected to teach. Which was inconvenient, Eddie thought, when you had much bigger concerns like stopping an overgrown child from decimating your girlfriend's entire career, reputation and life in general. Attempting to figure that out while simultaneously teaching year nine algebra was a bit of a challenge.

It didn't escape his notice that, at lunchtime, Rachel was conspicuous in her absence. To the side, Davina and Jasmine were grilling Steph over her date and he was trying not to scoff his lunch as quickly as he could so he could head up to Rachel's office. "Where's Rachel, Eddie?" Steph called over innocently.

He could see the vindictive smugness in her gaze, the smirk she was struggling not to hide. He had no idea why she thought she'd won something, or even that there was something to win but he hated that she was so superior over it. "You know what she's like," he said airily. "She'd work herself to the bone if it would benefit one of the kids. And she has three times the paperwork to do what with the permits and checks for the building work. She'd never dream of putting it off."

Just as he'd hoped, her smile faded a bit. Jasmine looked at him inquisitively. "Do we have finish dates for anything yet?"

And just like that, the conversation changed- the new building, the upset the work would cause, how the kids were going to take everything. And Eddie had to struggle not to smile at the put out expression Steph had as she no longer had an excuse to lord her weekend over everyone else. The conversation had the added benefit of distracting everyone enough that he could murmur a goodbye and slip from the canteen without drawing too much attention to himself, especially when he went straight in the direction of Rachel's office.

Bridget caught him before he could step foot inside, her face full of worry as she caught his arm. "She's refused any lunch, determined to work right through it." The woman rolled her eyes in concern for her overly stubborn boss. The school had been on the up since she took over from Jack, but everyone could see she was working herself into the ground so Bridget had taken it amongst herself to keep an eye on her and her wellbeing whenever she could. "I picked her up a sandwich but I daren't take it in, can you?"

Eddie was touched by her concern, and knew Rachel would be too when she was back in the right mind frame. He thanked the receptionist and sent her on her dinner break, promising to listen out for the phone as well as ask Rachel to actually eat something.

He found Rachel with her head in her hands, staring blankly at a document on her computer screen and tears falling rapidly down her face. He was by her side in an instant, sandwich forgotten as he took her face in his hands and turned her attention to him. She couldn't barely focus her eyes on him, too wrapped up in not letting her sobs consume her and really pull herself away from the screen. He tried to read it but was too bothered about her to care what it was, knowing that she would tell him when she'd calmed down. "Look at me Rach, focus on me." He could hear in her breathing that she was on the verge of a panic attack, and quickly stood her up and took her away from the glare of the screen. Whilst stood in the middle of the office, he pressed his lips to hers and gathered her in his arms. He could taste her tears, but focused more on getting her to react to him. He smoothed his hands down her back soothingly, his lips working against hers as she finally moved her mouth. He could have leapt with joy when he felt her arms move around his neck, and he moved them both backwards until she was backed up against her desk with his legs stood firmly between hers. Feeling that her attention was solely on him, he trailed his lips down her throat and tangled one hand in her hair. "Whatever it is, we'll sort it together." He whispered his promise against her collarbone as he kissed all of the skin he could reach, finishing his words with a final kiss before pulling back and looking into her eyes that still shone with tears.

"The meeting with Stuart, it's been pushed forward to tomorrow." Rachel couldn't deny that Eddie had done a brilliant job at distracting her, but as soon as he pulled back and she was made aware of their setting again, the worry and stress crashed back to her in full force. She didn't let him go through, kept her arms around him to keep him close and she looked to him for the comfort she so desperately needed.

He looked alarmed, glancing down at her. "What meeting?"

"Joint meeting between an LEA representative, the governors, me, him- about the new building."

"Okay… so?"

"So?" she looked at him incredulously. "Eddie, have you forgotten what happened less than a week ago?"

"Of course I haven't."

"Because how long do you think it will take someone to ask how his lip was split open?" she continued, voice rising higher and higher. "And how long before he calls me Amanda? Or makes a joke that is just a little too suspicious?"

He smoothed his hands down her arms, suddenly grateful he'd sent Bridget to lunch. "Rach, you're panicking."

"Of course I'm panicking!" she roughly pulled away from him. "I can't believe I actually let myself think it could be over. I cannot go to that meeting- there'll be too many questions I don't have answers for, especially when he tells them how he was injured and when he tells them…"

"Why doesn't Steph know?" he interrupted. That brought her up short. She turned to look at him, confusion in her gaze.

"Pardon?"

"Why doesn't Steph know?" he repeated. "She spent the weekend with him, must have queried what had happened. And if he'd told her, there's no way the whole school wouldn't know by now. So… why doesn't she know?"

The only sound in the room was their breathing, Rachel wide eyed. "I… don't know," she admitted finally. He finally risked stepping closer, brushing a lock of her hair back from her face.

"Whatever his game is, he could have outed you already. He hasn't. He's not going to at a meeting about building work."

She looked away, pressing her lips together. She wasn't so sure, but he sounded so convinced that she couldn't bring herself to argue with him. He brushed his fingers against her cheek. "I've watched you stand up against immigration officers, angry parents, rampaging teenagers, and you've never flinched. What is it about Hordley that sends you to pieces?"

She opened her mouth, then closed it again, looking away. "The way he looks at me," she admitted eventually.

"I don't understand."

"You look at me like I'm Rachel. He looks at me like I'm Amanda." She couldn't bring herself to explain it anymore than that, but she didn't have to. Understanding filtered into his expression. He stepped forward, pressed his lips against her forehead. "I hate that he has so much power over me," she whispered.

"He doesn't. He knows he can't win. He talks, so do we. And he won't risk losing his precious business, or risk the blackmail charges." He cupped her face gently. "There's no way for him to turn this around, Rachel. Yes he knows, but that's as far as it can go."


	7. Chapter 7

The next day, Steph felt giddy as she approached the restaurant, heels clicking loudly against the floor as she greeted the waiter and told them Stuart's name. It was much nicer than any place she'd been taken before, and just what she needed after the day she'd had. When the funding fell through with Claud, her first instinct was to call Stuart and simply moan down the phone to someone who didn't work in the same building as her. Well, he practically did, but he wasn't going to he half as mad with her as Rachel and Eddie had been. She'd needed to rant, had expected a tumble in the sheets as a way to release her frustration after the brilliant weekend they'd shared before. She definitely hadn't expected his offer of dinner as soon as she'd began to complain, and wasn't going to pass up his offer of taking her out in order to take her mind off of things. So as she sat with a glass of red wine in her hand, she seethed over the day's events and continued to talk even though she wasn't stopping to check Stuart was listening. "The thing is, I wouldn't have gone through with it, not really. Not with what we have."

At this, Stuart's ears picked up and he realised he truly hadn't been paying much attention to what the blonde had been saying. It was hardly the right time to confirm that he'd zoned out the minute she'd began to talk about funding, so he decided to piece together what she was trying to tell him and grunt his replies when they were required.

"The thing is, I only showed a bit of leg. It was tasteful, and I was told to do what I could to get the funding! She's got such a stick up her backside." Steph continued to rant, some of her wine spilling onto the tablecloth. She barely noticed, too wrapped up in her story as she remembered the lecture she'd had to sit through as if she were one of the children.

"Who's this?" Stuart was trying not to look as bored as he felt, he really hadn't missed the dramas that came with being involved with a woman, especially one as self obsessed as Steph.

"Rachel of course." Steph rolled her eyes, missing the way Stuart's nearly popped from their sockets as she took another large gulp. "Miss high and mighty, giving me a lecture about being professional. Well, I've been at that school longer than her, and I know where I stand thank you very much."

Stuart knew it, this was his chance. But he needed to be clever, could hardly get Steph to do his dirty work if she was long gone past the point of drunk. She was already slurring, so he carefully coaxed the glass from her hand and replaced it with some tap water from the table. "Well, it's hardly like she can talk. Not with her past at least."

Just as he'd wanted, her eyes snapped up to his face. "Her past?"

He feigned alarm, wide eyes and shifting in his seat. "Oh, nothing."

"Tell me," she insisted, gaze fixed on him. "Did you know her before she turned up here?"

"No, nothing like that." He sipped his drink, looked around them. "You have to keep it a secret, Stephanie."

He could practically see her eyes glint as she leant forward, eager to hear something juicy about the boss she so regularly clashed with. "Of course."

"Rachel Mason, wasn't always Rachel Mason." He leant forward as well, dropping his voice and enjoying the moment immensely. "She used to be Amanda Fenshaw."

She looked faintly disappointed. She'd been expecting something… more. "She changed her name. So what?"

"Instead of what, perhaps you should be asking why?"

She didn't enjoy puzzles, never had. "Why?" she parroted obediently.

"Well, it would have been hard for her to be hired with an arrest for solicitation on her record."

Her jaw dropped. "Excuse me?"

She listened incredulously as he revealed what he knew- a prostitute, who had been arrested rather publicly in a crackdown on an organised ring. No charges, because the police had wanted her bosses, not her, but enough of a stain that she'd become someone else to escape it. Nineteen years old.

Steph swallowed thickly, put down her drink. Nineteen years old, she thought. How old had Rachel been when she started? Still legally a child? Old enough to have finished school? To have had a boyfriend? It almost didn't matter… they still had nineteen-year-olds at school. In uniform, attending classes. Nineteen wasn't that much older than Maxine. Maxine, who had begun to steal to support her habit before she had plucked her off the streets. Maxine, who could so easily have gone down that road… just like Chlo Grainger nearly had.

All of a sudden, the gossip wasn't quite so amusing. Chlo had had Tom to save her, Mika to cling to. Maxine had her now, had Janeece and support at school. Why had no one saved Amanda Fenshaw?

"She acts like she's so much better," Stuart hadn't noticed her expression, continuing to talk. "Whoring herself out to that deputy of hers. Probably slept her way to her headship- would explain how she got her first one so young. So high and mighty, but you know what they say about silk purses."

"How do you know all this?" Steph asked quietly.

"My secretary knew Amanda, saw her in the newspaper."

His secretary, she thought, and mentally scoffed. If he wasn't using her as more than that, she'd give her next paycheck. Hypocrite.

Steph wouldn't go as far to say her and Rachel were friends, hell she was cursing out the woman only a few minutes before Stuart's revelation. But now, she wanted nothing more than to smack the smug look from his face and march right to Rachel to fill her in. The cogs were turning inside of her head as she listened to him continue to slate her boss, and she couldn't help but feel like he was harbouring a crush on her as he fumed about her past. Steph was struck with an overwhelming urge to defend Rachel, which she couldn't truly comprehend as they'd never seen eye to eye on most things. Yet the way Stuart was speaking about her, his tone laced with such venom, it got Steph feeling pretty worried.

She didn't know what exactly to do, but disagreeing with him wouldn't do anyone any good, she knew that much. So she played the part of being supportive, acknowledging his words as he spoke about how disgusting she was and how it was repulsive that she'd been allowed to run a school. Steph simply nodded her head as he spoke, wondering the best way to approach the situation she had found herself in.

"It's alright though, I've got it all under control Steph. She won't be a problem much longer."

At that, Stuart had her attention back entirely and she immediately zoned back into the conversation to discover what exactly it was he meant by that. "Why? What are your plans?" She only hoped that she hadn't come across too bored at his revelation that she'd lost his trust, wanting to have the full facts presented to do for when she worked out what exactly she was meant to do next. For saying she was expecting an evening of sex and very little else, she'd been delivered a completely different situation entirely.

"I only need her to make sure the bid is accepted and the plans go ahead. Amanda knows full well what will happen to her if anything goes wrong."

The smile on his face that she used to find so attractive suddenly made Steph's skin crawl, and his words sounded so threatening that they sent a shiver down her spine. What did he mean? What had he done to Rachel? His blatant refusal to use her new name showed the lack of respect he clearly had for her, and Steph was worried about the low levels he would stoop to in order to get what he wanted. Suddenly, she didn't want to be anywhere near Stuart anymore. In fact, she would be entirely happy to never have to see the man again. Only she knew she couldn't do that, knew she needed to keep him on side in order to stop anything awful happening to Rachel. "Surely you've got proof then? To use against her, of course?" She needed to know, wanted to be two steps ahead of whatever it was Stuart was planning to do.

A delighted laugh boomed from his mouth, almost evil as he took hold of Steph's hands with so much force that it was almost painful. "Oh I've got proof. Solid evidence Stephanie. Articles, photos too. Enough copies to send out to every staff member at Waterloo Road. You'd get first look in though, my special girl."


	8. Chapter 8

Bile pooled in her throat. She managed to fake a weak smile for him, absently wondering what she'd ever seen in him. She would be the first to admit her tastes weren't exactly niche- hell, a pulse was all that was usually required- but she'd really blown it this time. "She'll be ruined."

He sneered. "Slut like that shouldn't be running a school anyway. Thinking she's made something of herself, holding herself up as some sort of pariah. She should have left well enough alone- I would have walked away, she'd have been safe but her little guard dog just couldn't let it go."

There was only one person that could be. "Eddie Lawson?"

He nodded. "She's got to be screwing him. Why else would he protect her?"

"Eddie knows?"

"He knows, and supports her anyway."

Steph had been the first to place a bet on the pair getting together, but Eddie had been a rollercoaster of moods the past few weeks and the odds amongst the staff had significantly dropped. This might explain a few things, she thought. She was barely aware of Stuart paying the bill, helping her into her coat as he guided her outside.

If she hadn't been sober before, the chill of the night air ensured she certainly was now. Stuart had his arm around her waist, fingers digging in almost too tightly as he dropped a kiss to the curve of her neck. "Your place or mine?"

Presumptuous git. "I…"

Her phone binged, and she had never been more grateful in her life. She pulled away from him to dig it out, quickly scanning through the brief message from Maxine, telling her she was sleeping over at Janeece's. "I'm sorry, I've got go home- Max is ill," she lied. "Rain check?"

"How disappointing." He stepped forward, pressed a lingering kiss to her cheek. "Wish her well for me."

She smiled, murmured a goodbye and escaped into the taxi. But she didn't give her own address- instead, another that she had never actually been to. But she'd overheard it enough times, and apparently her memory was better than she'd thought when she spotted a familiar car on the driveway as they pulled up. She didn't notice the second familiar car parked on the street.

"Steph?" Rachel stared in surprise at the sight of the blonde on her doorstep. It was late- too late for visitors, and of all the possibilities that had run through her head when the knock had sounded, this hadn't been one of them. A sinking feeling hit her.

"We need to talk."

"It can't wait till Monday?"

"If this is about what happened today-,"

"It's not." She didn't give her a choice about coming in, stepping through and forcing her backwards. This wasn't a conversation she wanted to have on the doorstep. "It's about Stuart Hordley."

If she hadn't been watching, she wouldn't have seen the faintly frightened expression that flashed across Rachel's face before she carefully blanked her features. But before either could say anything else, a voice sounded from within the house. "Rach?"

Eddie paused when he saw Steph as he came out the kitchen, freezing in place. For a long moment, all three stood motionless and silent, tension crackling between them. Until Steph broke it with a snort of laughter. "Might have known you'd be here."

Rachel crossed her arms, looking uncomfortable. "Steph, what's this about?"

She looked at her plaintively. "I think you probably know."

"Shit."

Not so prim and proper after all, Steph thought, watching the colour drain from Rachel's face as she stepped back. Eddie was instantly defensive, wary as he came towards them, reaching instinctively for Rachel. "Don't pass out on me," Steph said, alarmed.

"I've never fainted in my life, I'm not about to start now."

Eddie struggled to keep from grinning, but Rachel simply swallowed thickly.

"What exactly did he tell you?"

"Everything. That he knows anyway."

Rachel wouldn't meet her eyes, looking at the floor and seemingly not aware of Eddie's hand on her waist. He pinned Steph with a look. "And what are you going to do with that?"

"If you'll let me, help you get rid of the bastard for good."

Now, Rachel's eyes snapped to hers for an instant, before meeting Eddie's, both as bewildered as each other. They hadn't been expecting that.

The initial terror of having Steph turn up out of the blue wore off pretty quickly after that comment, no longer caring as much that their little secret had been rumbled. It hasn't even been planned, but a quiet night in with a takeaway and a glass of wine was what they both required and neither was in a rush to separate when they'd left work earlier. Now, Rachel was starting to regret that decision as Steph stood before them both, Eddie's arm still wrapped around her protectively as they both realised they had bigger problems to face. "Come through, I think we need to talk." Rachel added, her voice robotic as she refused to show any emotion yet. She was filled with hope at Steph's words, but knew better than to get her hopes up too soon.

"I'll get more wine." Eddie dropped a quick kiss to Rachel's cheek before going into the kitchen to get supplies, thinking they could all do with more liquid courage after seeing the look on both women's face. Steph had clearly had a night with in with Stuart, and Rachel had physically flinched at the mention of his name so more alcohol would not go amiss.

Steph watched the exchange and allowed herself to smirk at Rachel, wanting to gloat for just a minute before the conversation really began. "Can I just say, I bloody knew it." She took a seat across from Rachel on a separate sofa, leaving space for Eddie as she assumed he'd be joining them. It seemed silly if he didn't, knowing that Rachel would just fill him in on everything either way. Stuart was under the impression that Eddie knew everything, and his presence in her home proved that point.

Rachel had to stop herself from rolling her eyes, accepting the alcohol from Eddie as he handed a glass to Steph before sitting right by her side as they both faced the blonde. "Steph, it's new, okay?" She wasn't going to deny it, knew there was no point in that anyway. But they hadn't even discussed what they were yet, and that conversation definitely wasn't going to happen in front of their French teacher.

Eddie placed a hand on her knee as a show of solidarity. He knew how difficult this was for her, knew that having to discuss her personal life was up there with one of her worst nightmares. But he was secretly thrilled she hadn't denied it and kicked him out at the sight of Steph, happy that she'd admitted that there definitely was something between them. He offered her a small smile before taking a sip of his beer and turning back to Steph, leaving his hand on her knee to offer any comfort she needed as he asked the question Rachel clearly didn't want to. "What's happened with Stuart, Steph? What exactly has he said?"

Rachel knew she needed to know what she was facing, but she immediately tensed and placed her hand on top of Eddie's, gripping his fingers with her own until her knuckles turned white as a way to ground herself and prepare for exactly what she was about to hear. This was it, the end of her career at the hands of a businessman and a woman who only earlier that day was fighting her over funding.

Steph saw the look on Rachel's face and she had to put down her glass, immediately anger filling her for Stuart and all he was doing to this woman. She quickly told the pair everything Stuart had said, everything he knew and the plans he had for if Rachel didn't obey his wishes. She was sure Rachel was crying when she finished, so she felt the needed to reiterate the reason she was there and hopefully save her boss from at least some heartache. "Look, Rachel. We've not been the best of friends, I know that. But Waterloo Road? It's like a family." She thought back to all the times her colleagues had come to her defence, and knew that no matter what, even though they all fought like cat and dog most of the time, they would support one another to the ends of days if it came to it. "God knows I've got a past too. You've clearly done well to get through yours, and that's nothing to be ashamed of, okay?" The look of terror that passed over Rachel's face had Steph quickly shaking her head to silence whatever thought process she was going through. "I'm not going to tell anyone, nobody else will know if I can help it. Whatever you need, whatever way I can help to stop this coming out, please let me. Stuart isn't stupid, but he's a man. Sorry Eddie." She saw him go to protest but threw him a shrug, and he quickly backed down in place of letting her finish, knowing this was exactly what Rachel needed to hear. "I'm on your side, no double bluffing or whatever else you're thinking of. I'm not that evil."

Rachel was rarely speechless in her life, was known for always being able to find the words in even the most difficult of times. But now? The tears silently slid down her cheeks as she listened to the woman who was offering her a lifeline. When Steph showed up, she truly believed her life was over. She thought that this was the first step her and Stuart had thought of to bring her down, but she believed everything Steph had just promised her. "Thank you." She couldn't find any other words, couldn't process anything other than the fact that Steph was willing to help her. After all their arguments, all their disagreements and a day full of disappointed conversations over funding, Steph had come to her and pledged her solidarity after hearing of Stuart's plans. Rachel knew she'd never truly be able to repay her, was entirely grateful to have landed in a place like Waterloo Road. With Steph's hopeful words and Eddie by her side, Rachel felt more confident than she had in a while that Stuart Hordley and his threats would soon be a distant memory.

"How the hell are you taking this so well?" she managed to choke out. Steph raised an eyebrow.

"Why are you so surprised? You've got Eddie sitting next to you- he's obviously taking it even better."

Rachel let out a startled laugh. "This is a month and half later. You should have seen him when he first found out, he was spitting feathers."

Eddie shifted uncomfortably. "That's not true."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Did you or did you not tell me that everything that came out of my mouth was a lie? And I seem to remember a certain resignation letter floating around for a while…"

He looked abashed. His reaction hadn't been wonderful, he knew, and there was a lot more she wasn't saying. "In my defence, it was more about Hordley and your insistence about hiding what he was doing than about your past."

"But not entirely."

"Well-,"

Steph let out a small cough before they could completely forget about her presence. "So do we have a plan or what?"

Eddie and Rachel exchanged a look. "We did have a plan. We'd hoped it had worked, but apparently not," Rachel revealed with a sigh.

"It doesn't make any sense. We have as much on Hordley as he has on us." Eddie rubbed the back of his neck. "In some ways he has more to lose than Rachel. Why would he risk that when he could have disappeared and never had to think about it again?"

Steph perked up. "That's what he said."

"What?"

"Stuart said that he would have walked away, but you couldn't leave 'it' alone," she remembered. "Actually, he seemed to blame you more, Eddie."

"Oh no…"

Both women looked at him, one in confusion and the other in apprehension. "What did you do?" Rachel asked uneasily, and he swallowed hard.

"I'm so sorry, Rach." He gave a horrified, guilty look. "But I… I just couldn't let it go. What he's doing with Bolton and the kids. I have a mate at the council, I tipped him off. I never thought Hordley would be able to trace it back to me."

She closed her eyes. "Oh Eddie…"

"I'm sorry."

Steph was looking between them in bewilderment. "Someone want to clue me in?"

Eddie explained, as succinctly as he could, exactly what they were blackmailing Hordley with. Steph's jaw hit the ground for the umpteenth time that evening. "I really am sorry, Rach." He looked over to her, surprised when she didn't look angry.

"It's not your fault. It probably would have come out sooner or later anyway, and we'd be in the same position."


	9. Chapter 9

Eddie was completely shocked when she didn't hit the roof, was expecting another battle when his revelation had come to light. He only wanted to protect her, and had felt so useless seeing her so upset at the hands of another man that he felt it was his duty to protect her the best he could. "He won't win, okay?" He turned her head towards him, aware that his own actions had caused her even more worry and for that he wasn't sure he'd be able to forgive himself.

Rachel was just about to reply when a loud cough pulled them both from their trance, and both looked slightly guilty that they'd forgotten about their guest.

As much as she was loving how much she'd been right about the situation between Eddie and Rachel, Steph definitely didn't want to sit and watch them make out for the rest of the night. She wanted to go home and watch an awful film with Maxine on the sofa after her awful day, and in order to do that, she needed to make a plan without the couple making eyes at one another. "As nice as this love fest is, I do want to go home, you know?"

Rachel rolled her eyes, grateful for the smack of reality that Steph's comments brought to her. It had all been too happy since she'd arrived, and her sarcastic comment was so normal that Rachel had to stop herself from grinning. She cleared her throat and budged away from Eddie to give them both some space, shaking her head slightly and slipping into headteacher mode. "Of course Steph, what do you think we should do?" Rachel was at a loss herself, had no idea what to even begin to suggest as she'd been trying to think of ways to take down Stuart for what felt like years.

"Well obviously Stuart trusts me at the minute." Steph thought back to the previous conversation she'd had with him, racking her brain for the right way to proceed that would cause minimal damage. "If I can get hold of his only proof, then it's just words, right?" She was trying to remain confident, trying to cover all tracks that could lead to Rachel's past being exposed.

Eddie knew he needed to speak up, didn't want to give either of them false hope or fall into the trap of thinking this was going to be easier now there was somebody else fighting Rachel's corner. "If his words can be backed up in any way, then the damage is done." He didn't want to put a dampener on anything, but wanted to make sure both women stayed grounded in their plans.

"Then we shut him up. Make sure we've got enough on him to ruin him if he even thinks of speaking out." Steph was already thinking of a plan in her head, the cogs turning in her brain as she imagined the different scenarios playing out. "The work with Bolton and the other kids, if we've got proof of that being illegal, that's one thing. But if we've got evidence of him blackmailing Rachel? He'd be too scared to talk with the threat of losing it all."

"That's just it Steph- we do!" Rachel ran a hand through her hair. "I have a recording of him admitting to blackmailing me. That's why we thought we were safe- we were at a stalemate. And in some ways he has more to lose than I do. I'd lose my job, my career, my reputation if he talked but if we gave that recording to the police he'd go to prison."

Eddie sat up straight. "What if we pointed that out to him?"

"What?"

"He's going to be in trouble for the underage employment, we can't put the cat back in the bag on that one," he said quickly, "but in all probability, he'll be given a fine, maybe take a hit on his business, lose his contracts. It'll be bad, but he could weather it. Going to prison is a whole different ball game."

Rachel was doubtful but couldn't deny the spark of hope she felt. She'd seen firsthand the effect a pointed conversation and reminder of consequences could have on someone. Admittedly it was usually teenagers, but it was just possible it would work on Hordley as well, she thought hopefully. He didn't seem the type of man to do well in jail, maybe a reminder of that would be enough.

"If I had that conversation with him, as an outside source, he might just listen," Steph said quietly.

"Hordley likes to win," Rachel murmured, glancing at Eddie. "Look what happened before- he didn't get really nasty until he wasn't on top anymore, then he turned. Steph, if he thought for one moment that you were some sort of threat to him, I'm not sure you'd be safe."

Her eyes widened. "You think he'd hurt me?" Even Eddie looked surprised, and Rachel bit her lip.

"I think emotional people do irrational things. And he's about to lose his entire livelihood, the business he's worked for years for and that carries his name. Emotional is going to be an understatement."

There was silence as the other two digested that. "Well, that's a downer," Steph muttered, and promptly broke the spell. Rachel managed a weak smile, suddenly feeling inexplicably exhausted. That's what an emotional rollercoaster did to you, she supposed, not even realising that she was leaning more heavily into Eddie. He slid his arm around her waist, but was careful not to do more, knowing she would be uncomfortable in front of Steph.

"So what now?" he asked.

"I don't know about you two, but it's late and I'm exhausted. I'm going to go home, text Maxine to come home and hopefully fall asleep on the sofa to some attractive actor. And then give this some thought tomorrow when I'm more sober and less shell-shocked."

He let out a snort of laughter, gathering the glasses as Rachel walked her to the door, calling out before she'd gotten halfway up the drive. Steph turned, amused to see her barefoot headmistress following her, arms crossed against the cool night and looking hesitant. "I just… thank you."

"You have nothing to thank me for."

"Yes, I really do."

Steph looked down for a moment. "How old were you? When you started?"

There was a long pause. "Seventeen," Rachel admitted quietly, and she nodded slowly.

"That's close to what I figured. Chlo Grainger's age, when Tom saved her from the same road and not much older than my Max, when she was addicted and living on the streets." Her tone was uncharacteristically soft. "Still children."

Rachel swallowed back tears, hoping she didn't notice.

"I can't even imagine," Steph murmured. "He won't beat you, you know. No matter how this turns out. He won't have beaten you."

She blinked rapidly. "Thank you, Steph."

"Well, that was unexpected." Eddie commented as Rachel turned back to the house, waiting on the doorstep with open arms as Steph finally left.

Rachel didn't hesitate as she threw herself at him, practically clinging to his body and getting as much comfort as possible from him. "I'm so glad you're here." She murmured against his chest, burying her head there and breathing in the familiar scent of him that never failed to ground her back to reality. "What you didn't was really stupid though." She pulled back to look up at him, finally able to voice her opinion without an audience how Steph had ventured home and left them alone.

Eddie knew he had gotten off lightly earlier, and had prepared himself to a longer conversation so simply nodded. "I know Rach, and I am sorry for what it's caused." He admitted, moving them both backwards and away from the slight chill of the night's air. "But I'm not sorry for trying to protect you, I'd do that again and again if I needed to because I love.." Eddie quickly caught himself, eyes comically wide as he realised just what it was he was about to reveal. He felt Rachel stiffen in his arms and cleared him throat. "Working with you. I love working with you." He only hoped that he hadn't scared her off with his almost slip of the tongue, waiting patiently for her response as he looked at her with wide eyes.

Rachel knew what he'd almost said, and was surprised to find herself not half as freaked out as she usually would be. The fact he was here, by her side and supporting her through this was a pretty good indication anyway. It was soon, that she knew, but nothing else that had happened recently had been normal so that wasn't going to start now. "I love.. working with you too." She grinned, their own secret code word as both seemed too scared to say the real words. But for now, it was enough. For now, it was all the other needed to hear.


	10. Chapter 10

Steph decided she needed another debrief with Eddie and Rachel before the next date she had arranged with Stuart. She didn't want to put her foot in it, was determined to do right by Rachel in any way she could. She'd quickly gotten over the shock of seeing them both together and had accepting it in her stride, not even thinking to tell anyone the news she considered gossip as there were more more important things to be dealt with. So that's how she found herself back at Rachel's house on a Sunday morning before her lunch plans with Stuart. She was nervous for some reason, scared to see him again after all that she'd found out. She sat across from them at the table as she nursed a cup of coffee, and faced them both head on. "Do you think I'm in danger?"

Eddie truly didn't know how to answer that question, didn't know what Stuart was capable of but knew he wouldn't want Rachel alone with him. "I don't know Steph." He didn't want to fill her with false hope, grateful she was even think about doing something that could be considered dangerous in order to protect Rachel. "But we know where you're going, leave your phone on you and I'll keep mine on loud. I'll be ready to come as soon as you ring." He felt it was the least he could offer to do for her, and truly would want to know she was safe whenever in that man's presence. He felt Rachel touch her hand to his thigh as her thank you, and covered her hand with his own to show his support.

Steph felt happy that she was in safe hands, grateful that Eddie would listen out incase she needed him. She'd purposely asked to meet Stuart somewhere that was a close drive to Rachel's, so they could get there quickly if need be. She didn't know what she was expecting, but needed to cover all bases in order to cover herself. "So how's about I tell him you've confided in me after finding out we've been on dates? I could spin it so he thinks I'm bluffing you, and pretend you haven't told me the real truth about your past?"

Rachel tried to force herself to not think negatively, not wanting to consider the possibility of Steph actually being the one to be double-bluffing. She couldn't fight the feeling that nagged at her, but could see the real fear in her face and decided that this wouldn't work without some trust.

She pushed the feeling down, and swallowed heavily. "You mean, suggest I've told you about the blackmail and illegal working but not what I'm being blackmailed about?"

"Exactly."

But Rachel shook her head. "That's even riskier."

"But it might just work," Eddie interjected.

"No," she said firmly. "It's too much. Stuart knows you care about the kids, he knows about Maxine and that you'd never let her work in those conditions, so why would you let any other child? It's too full of holes, he'll see right through it."

Eddie frowned. "But it could get us what we need!"

"It would never work! Steph, when you met Stuart the other night, what were you doing?" She rounded on her, and the French teacher looked taken aback.

"Well… I…"

"You were slagging me off and cursing me because I read you the riot act over Friday," Rachel said flatly. "Am I right?"

Steph's cheeks were hot as she nodded. "Yeah."

"So why exactly would I have turned around and started confiding in you?"

Steph and Eddie both paused, then looked sheepish. "Good point," he admitted. "I hadn't thought of that."

"I rather thought not," she said dryly. "You're both making this too complicated. Easiest thing is if Steph says nothing. Pretends nothing has changed, makes no mention of me beyond what would be normal and let's Stuart tell her everything. He apparently wants to share what he's doing with someone, probably so they can coo over how clever he is." Her tone took on a disgusted note.

"And if he asks for my help with something?" Steph asked quietly, and Rachel hesitated, glancing uncertainly at Eddie.

"Make a judgement call," he suggested, and sent up a silent prayer as he did that Steph had more common sense when she paused to think something over. Otherwise this could backfire horrendously.

"As long as it doesn't involve the kids," Rachel added quickly. She had a sick feeling in her stomach, still not certain that this was a good idea and unsure of why exactly Steph was helping. Even if she didn't agree with what Stuart was planning to do, she could have kept her silence and walked away, remained uninvolved in this whole palaver. Rachel couldn't quite reconcile her knowledge of the careless teacher with the woman sat in front of her.

So Steph did as advised and sat across from Stuart, hanging onto his every word and hoping that she looked convincing. She ached to bolt for the door, hating every word that came from his mouth and constantly needing to check her face wasn't showing her true colours. He continued to use her as an outlet for his anger on Rachel and Eddie, so she remained sat in her seat and listened intently. He wanted her secret out there, that much was true. He wanted her career over, but he seemed more intent on ruining her relationship than her job. Each word he spoke convinced Steph even more than Stuart had a thing for Rachel, and he was punishing her for getting close to Eddie.

"What do you think Stephanie? Are they together?"

Now her opinion was wanted, Steph was able to get a word in having not wanting to interrupt his ramblings for the entirety of the meal. Knowing she needed him go trust her now more than ever, she decided to put the first step of her plan into action. "Oh I think so, but we need some proof. I could dig around, see what the other staff think?" Completing such an easy task was a sure way to gain Stuart's trust, so hopefully he would confide his later plans to her too.

Stuart's smile stretched across his entire face as he reached for her hands, and it took everything she had inside of her to not pull back from his touch like she'd been burned. But Steph simply let him take hold of her, smiling at him with what she hoped looked genuine. "I'm glad I've got you on my side Steph, I really am."

Eddie checked his phone for the fifth time since Rachel had started the movie, and she turned in his arms to face him with a hint of annoyance across her features. "She's a big girl you know?" Immediately regretting her outburst, Rachel moved back to her position against his side and avoided looking at him, eyes focused on the tv even though she had no clue what was really happening in the scene.

Eddie couldn't catch her eye, so was looking at her head as he processed her reaction. "You don't trust her, do you?"

Knowing she wasn't going to get out of this situation, Rachel reached for the remote and paused the screen, turning to Eddie and finally engaging him properly in conversation. "Honestly? I don't know. I want to, I really do."

"But you don't."

"I can't." She admitted, biting her lip as tears gathered in her eyes. She furiously tried to blink them away before realising it was pointless, Eddie had seen her at her worst and wasn't one to judge anyway. "You're the only one I trust Eddie. And if I was making a list in order of people at Waterloo Road that I'd have backing my corner? Steph would be way near the bottom. I just.."

"Maybe we need to trust her Rach, she seemed really genuine." Eddie always tried to see the good in others, and really had believed Steph when she turned up with the offer of wanting to help.

Rachel smiled at god optimism, and cursed her own ability to always see the worst in people, but it was a guard she had up that was extremely hard to let down. "I wouldn't put it past her to put herself first, that's all. If she can get something more out of helping Stuart? I think that would be her chosen option."

Eddie tilted her head so she was looking at him, her comment not forgotten about how she knew she could truly trust him. "If that's the case darling, we can't do anything about that." He didn't want to sugarcoat what may happen, couldn't bare to promise her things that he knew he wouldn't be able to deliver on. "But we will face that together, when the time comes. You're not alone, I promise you that." He lowered his lips to hers with hopes of offering her a welcomed distraction, and her response showed him that he was right to do so. She threw her arms around his neck immediately and kissed him back, hoping that he was able to feel her appreciation in the way she kissed him. A lone tear slid down her cheek as their lips met, overwhelmed with his words and the feeling of no longer being alone. She hadn't felt such a way in a long time, and it was something she hoped she had the chance to get used to.

Steph had a fun time wiggling out of Stuart's none-too-subtle insinuations about going somewhere private together, thanks to a perfectly timed phone-call from Maxine who was so loud down the phone that Stuart could hear every word she said. "I'll leave you to deal with the teenage drama," he said, smiling charmingly and bidding her goodbye, and Steph had never been so grateful to Max before. Not that the girl understood why.

It did mean, however, the it was very early on Monday morning that Steph found herself sat with Rachel and Eddie in her office, so early that there was no one else in school yet. The blonde was less than thrilled about it. "I haven't had to be up this early in years."

Eddie handed her a strong coffee. "And we appreciate it," he said smoothly, shooting her a smile. Rachel remained silent, sat stiffly on the sofa as her fingers tapped anxiously against her leg. She was watching Steph warily, still not fully meeting her gaze.

By the time Steph had finished telling them what had happened the day before, three cups had been emptied and refilled again. "It's odd," she said thoughtfully. "He's furious about the business being investigated, but I think he's angrier that Eddie is the one who instigated it. He really doesn't like you."

"He's not a huge fan of me either," Rachel pointed out. Steph smirked, amused that her clever boss couldn't see what was right in front of her. When she said as much, she received two very blank stares.

"He's jealous!" she told them in exasperation. Rachel and Eddie exchanged a baffled look, but it was Rachel who said what they were both thinking.

"Of what?"

Steph snorted. "Rachel, he likes you. And I think he really doesn't want to. He's jealous of Eddie, regardless of whether you're in a real relationship or just sleeping together but can't abide the idea of being genuinely attracted to you. Though I'm not sure whether that's because of your past or not."

"Or because I'm not interested in him," Rachel murmured suddenly.

"Excuse me?"

She looked up at them both and shrugged slightly. "He was more than happy to go out to dinner with me, to invite me out again after he could have walked away with what he wanted. I think it's the fact that I'm not interested in him back that gets him."

Steph made a face. "He thinks he's better than you, and that you should fall at his feet."

Eddie looked incredulous. "He said some horrendous things to Rachel- you're saying he's lashing out like a child in the playground? Where's the sense in that?"

Steph shrugged. "He's a man," she deadpanned.

Eddie bit his lip to keep him from responding in protest, and caught eyes with Rachel as she caught him doing so.

Steph caught the exchange and rolled her eyes, taking that as her queue to leave. "I'm going before you pounce on each other right in front of me." She smirked at them both as she walked towards the door, knowing it wouldn't be long before everyone noticed the shift between the two.

"Steph!"

As soon as she left the office, she was cornered by Tom, and had to resist the urge to turn the other way quickly. She wasn't even sure what it was he wanted, but had never been so sure that she wanted to escape to her classroom and become distracted with teaching all day, which is something she was sure she'd never say. "What can I do for you Mr Clarkson?"

The look on Steph's face proved to Tom she had forgotten, and he almost groaned out loud. "Steph, it's Matt's 30th. Tomorrow? His surprise party?" He dragged a hand down his face, a headache already forming despite it being so early. "You've forgotten haven't you?"

Steph felt the blood drain from her face, wanting to slap herself round the face for being so stupid. She truly had forgotten, after she'd started planning the party before the situation with Stuart really took off. But she could hardly tell Tom the reasons why, so shook her head into her game face and rolled her eyes in a way she hoped was convincing. "Of course not, it's all in hand. Must go Tom, teaching to do." She practically bolted past him and slammed her classroom door shut, reaching straight into her bag and taking hold of her phone. "Stuart? It's me, I really need your help darling." Her voice was laced with a sweetness she knew sounded so fake, but she prayed that he wasn't yet able to pick up on that.


	11. Chapter 11

"Steph? Another visit? Anybody would think you're starting to like me." Rachel barely glanced over after calling in the person knocking and once again seeing the blonde pop her head in. She'd be happy when this situation was over for multiple reasons, but truly couldn't wait for her relationship with Steph to go back to normal.

Steph rolled her eyes at Rachel's words and closed the office door, thinking that her both should be grateful that she was even getting an update. Though she supposed her tone meant that there was no point in being fake with one another, their fire still present despite the circumstances for a sense of normality. " Tomorrow is Matt's 30th birthday, I've been planning a surprise party. The thing is, I completely forgot to finish planning it with everything happening. So I've had to ask Stuart for help."

"And you're telling me this because?" Rachel was grateful for all Steph was doing, but really didn't need a run through of her daily life.

"He's going to be there, that's why I'm telling you. So you can, you know, warn Eddie or whatever."

Rachel wasn't even sure she'd had been invited to the party in the first place, so this was the first she was hearing of it. But the thought of all the staff being there as well as Stuart filled her with dread, and she wasn't sure how to process the situation so was grateful when another rushed knock followed by the swift entrance of Eddie saved her from having to do the thinking alone.

"Rach, do you know where the forms for- oh, sorry Steph." He came to a stop, glancing between them. "What's wrong?"

Steph bit her lip. "I forgot to organise Matt's thirtieth tomorrow, so Stuart's helping me out. But it means he's coming."

Eddie's eyes widened. "That's not good."

"I cannot stand in a room and make nice with him all night," Rachel said shakily. "I'm not…"

Steph made a dismissive noise. "Yes, you could. If you had to. You forget, we've seen you go head to head with far worse than Stuart Hordley."

Eddie and Rachel both stared at her. "Steph, that was almost nice."

She scoffed, waving a hand in the air. She'd meant it as a compliment but wasn't about to admit that to either of them. She had meant it though- until a few days ago, Rachel had seemed the most confident and fearless person. There weren't many headteachers who would go up against immigration officers, or rile up the school 'bad-boy' on purpose. Seeing her doubt herself was… unsettling, Steph decided.

Eddie was rubbing the back of his neck, looking stressed. "Why's he coming?" he asked neither woman in particular, unable to reason it out. Steph shot him an odd look.

"Because he's helping organise it?"

"So? He doesn't know Matt, or the rest of the staff. Why come to a party with them? It's not like anyone else is bringing their partners."

An awful thought occurred to Rachel. "All the staff in one place at the same time? He's planning something."

"Or wants us to think he is," Eddie suggested. She shot him a confused look. "Imagine if Steph hadn't told us," he explained. "The first you'd know of it would be when he walked in. Maybe he wants you off-balance, panicky. Just to prove what he can do, remind you of what he knows."

Steph looked unhappy. "But if Rachel doesn't react, we run the risk of him revealing all anyway."

"Do we?" The headteacher looked up at them. "Forget everything else- we still have proof he was blackmailing me. If he talks, so do I. And I'm going to remind him of that tomorrow."

Eddie spluttered, going white and then pink in quick succession. "What?"

But Rachel's expression was resolute. "I'm tired of playing games. Organise your party Steph- and when I see Stuart there, I'll remind him that spending 5 years in prison and coming out with a criminal record is far worse than getting his feelings hurt."

Eddie almost crossed the room and kissed her right there and then, but refrained as he knew she wouldn't appreciate the extra attention it would gain from Steph. "There she is?"

"Who?" Rachel began to look around, peering out the window at Eddie's words as they passed her by.

Eddie did take that opportunity to step towards her, Steph be dammed as he touched her arm and turned her back towards him. "The Rachel Mason that first walked though the door." He saw the recognition cross her face and the blush creep across her cheeks as he ducked away from his gaze in embarrassment. Only he didn't let her go that easily, and tipped her face back towards him by lifting her chin. "That's the Rachel Mason I love.. working with." He saw her eyes sparkle at their inside joke and felt his own cheeks begin to heat up.

Rachel almost rolled her eyes at his first comment, wanting to add something about it being incredibly cheesy. But his second made her stop, and she felt an overwhelming urge to fall into his arms and never leave the safety that came with being so close to him. She felt protected, like she could take on the world as long as he was by her side. "Yeah well, it's about time I stood up for myself." She tried to play it off, swallowing the lump in her thought as she leant against him slightly.

Steph backed herself up towards her door, fully aware of just how many times she had to leave the company of these two before they attacked each other in her presence. "Good luck keeping this a secret at the party." She joked, her hand on the door as she turned to leave."

"What do you mean by that?" Rachel cried, fear immediately running through her as she failed to recognise the teasing tone to her first.

Steph let out a small chuckle, grateful that Rachel hadn't completely lost her head and started trusting her completely. "I meant you two. You're all over each other, so.. good luck." She winked and dived out of the office before either could say another word.

Rachel turned back to Eddie and smiled a little shyly at him, still standing tall after her earlier deceleration of standing up to Stuart. "We're not all over each other, are we?" Even as she asked the question, she knew the answer because she moved even closer towards him with each word she spoke.

Eddie responded immediately, his arms wrapped around her as his lips began a trail from her ear to her neck. "No, definitely not. Quite professional really."

Rachel knew she had a lot to think over, a lot to plan if she was coming face to face with Stuart anytime soon, especially when the entire staff body of Waterloo Road would be present. But couldn't find herself able to concentrate on anything other than the way Eddie's lips felt against her skin. "Eddie?"

He grunted against her neck as a reply, not wanting to stop what he was doing or drag himself away from how good it felt to finally be kissing her.

"Let's go home." Planning could come later; much, much later.

"This has been quite a success, wouldn't you agree, Rachel?"

Rachel managed to avoid flinching at the sudden voice from behind her, the only outward sign the tensing of her grip around her glass. "It has," she acknowledged, breathing slowly and hoping Eddie was distracted enough that he didn't come flying over. Stuart slid in to stand beside her, his own glass in hand.

"Of course," he continued, "I'm always glad to help Stephanie's co-workers out."

"How charitable of you."

She didn't look at him, and so didn't see his eyes narrow. But she felt him shift beside her, lowering his head to speak to her in lower tones. "Your… boyfriend," he spat the word, making it clear he meant something else, "has caused me quite a bit of difficulty."

She wasn't supposed to know, she reminded herself hastily, and forced herself to frown slightly, turning just slightly towards him. "What are you talking about?"

"His little investigation."

"What investigation?" she demanded lowly, looking at him properly. If Steph could fool him, so could she, she hoped desperately.

His brow furrowed, before surprised and delight lit up his face. "You don't know…"

"Know what? I thought you and I were done, Stuart."

He chuckled. "Oh, we were. Until your Mr Lawson couldn't keep his mouth shut. He tipped off the council about me, broke our little stalemate."

Rachel turned away as if in shock, immediately regretting it when he used the opportunity to step closer, his hand landing on the small of her back. She stiffened. "You're lying," she accused quietly.

"I'm actually not." He sounded highly amused, ducking his head even closer to hers. "I wonder what else he's let slip…"

"Stop it."

"He should have stayed quiet, Amanda. When your little secret comes out- and it will- it won't be me who caused it. It'll be him."

"Are you threatening me again?"

He laughed softly. "Tit for tat, dear. That's how it works."

She set her jaw, rounding on him and dislodging his hand at the same time. "You don't scare me, Stuart. I still have that little recording on my phone. And back ups, as well," she added, seeing the look on his face. "It will stay hidden as long as my past does."

He looked at her appraisingly, as if seeing her in a new light.

"Forget Eddie and Steph," she continued determinedly. "This is between you and me. If my secret comes out, there will be nothing stopping me from going to the police with accusations of blackmail. Right now, you still have your freedom, and no criminal record. Are you really willing to risk that just to bring me down?"

For a long, antagonising few moments, he only looked at her. "Well well, Amanda," he murmured, "I didn't know you had it in you."

She raised her chin, meeting his gaze head on. "I am done with you. I can destroy you to a much greater extent than you can me. So I suggest we have no need to speak again."

Very deliberately, she turned her back and walked away. She heard him hiss, calling her back but she smoothly slid between groups of people, complimenting Davina on her dress and within seconds was smoothly integrated amongst her staff, safe from Hordley. Now they just had to get through the rest of the evening.


	12. Chapter 12

Eddie had refrained from interrupting Rachel's conversation with Hordley, knowing she could handle herself and would call if she needed any help. He'd be stupid to start anything in front of so many people, especially with the proof she held in the palm of her hands. But he wouldn't put anything past the man, and he watched the exchange with beady eyes incase anything went wrong. Only she walked away with her head held high, and he could notice the small smirk on her face as she caught his eye momentarily. He couldn't do anything about it, not now, but he ached to be by her side as she filled him in on all that had happened. He could only watch as she chatted to Davina, his eyes being pulled to the way her red dress clung to her body and pinched her in all the right places. His eyes had almost popped out their sockets when he saw her earlier on, and if they were a few minutes late due to Eddie just needing to show her dress some appreciation, then nobody would really take much notice. It took him a few minutes, but he soon found the excuse to make his way around the room and end up right next to her, pulling her attention away from Davina and a few teaching assistants with the smallest of touches to her back.

"I'll be right back girls." Rachel commented, knowing that Eddie would want to know how the conversation had gone. She'd been aware he was watching her since she walked away from Stuart, and would be lying if she said she wasn't loving the feeling of having his eyes on her. Of course she picked out this dress with him in mind, wanting to impress him just as much as she wanted to feel good when she destroyed Stuart with her carefully planned words. Luckily, she'd succeeded in both as she lead Eddie away from the buzz of the party and to a quieter area just outside the garden. "I'm fine." She answered Eddie's question before he even asked it, knowing he'd want to know how she was feeling above all else.

He looked at her with a hint of amusement in his eyes, pushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear in a delicate fashion. "I always knew you would be." He commented, a sense a pride in his voice. He'd seen her at her lowest point and could only watch on as she conquered her fears and faced them head on. He felt honoured that he had feel even allowed to see that vulnerable side of her, grateful that he would be by her side in any fight she fought given the chance.

"Cool it Romeo." She swatted at his shoulder playfully, secretly loving the way he took another heated glance at her dress and the way it hugged her figure.

Eddie leant close enough to whisper in her ear, completely forgetting to press her for information about her interaction with Stuart. She'd tell him later, he was sure of that. Now, he had more important matters to attend to. "I can't cool anything when you look so hot." It was cheesy, far worse than any line he'd ever used before. But it had the desired effect as Rachel laughed loudly against him.

"That was awful." She pulled back slightly and their eyes locked, with Rachel's own skin suddenly felt incredibly flushed. Although it was probably an awful idea, she let her lips meet his despite how close they were to the party.

Almost completely lost to how good it felt to be kissing him, she nearly missed the sound of footsteps approaching and pulled back quickly. "What was that?"

"I didn't hear anything? Shall we head back before anyone notices?"

"You mean, before you can't control yourself any longer?"

"Don't push your luck."

"You'll never guess what I've just seen." Matt announced as he strode back over to a large group of his colleagues, Steph standing in the middle of the huddle of people. "It's made my birthday."

"What has?"

"Oh nothing.. only the fact that Rachel and Eddie are playing tonsil tennis outside."


	13. Chapter 13

Through the chorus of exclamations, laughter and mildly lewd comments that arose, nobody noticed Steph's eyes growing wide, a faintly panicked expression on her face. Stuart would delight in using this somehow, she just knew it, and the insinuations he could make… she spun, intending to go and warn Rachel and Eddie but instead found herself facing Stuart as he approached the group.

He smiled at her, and there was no way for her to slip away gracefully. "What's all this about?" he asked, smoothly sliding an arm around her waist.

"Um…"

"Jasmine won!" Tom was exclaiming, and drew both their attentions.

"Won what?" This was Eddie, approaching the group a careful distance from Rachel, and Steph had no way to do anything about what was going to happen.

Tom looked sly. "The betting pool on when you two would get together."

Rachel choked on her drink, while Eddie just froze. "What?"

"Don't deny it!" Matt looked gleeful. "We know! You managed to keep that quiet!"

The pair exchanged a look. "STEPH!" They both rounded on the blonde at the same time, and she held her hands up.

"Not me for once!" she defended. "If you're going to snog at a birthday party where everyone you work with is in attendance, you're asking to get caught!"

They exchanged another look. "Hang on," Jasmine interrupted. "Steph knew?"

"And didn't blab?" Tom looked impressed, but Steph just looked indignant.

"I am not that bad!"

"Yes you are!" Practically everyone in their little group said in unison, and immediately burst into laughter. Steph pouted dramatically, but was inwardly wondering what the man behind her was doing. He'd been almost too quiet, and she could see Rachel's eyes sliding to him anxiously every few seconds.

"How long?" Tom was demanding to know, and Eddie shook his head.

"Tonight is supposed to be about Matt," he reminded them.

The blonde grinned. "I don't mind."

"I do," Rachel grumbled under her breath, but only Eddie heard, flashing her a reassuring smile. He knew how private she was- this was one of her worst nightmares, and the one thing he wanted to do was step closer and wrap an arm around her, or even just take her hand. But she would hate that even more in front of everyone, and so he restrained himself.

Only Rachel was really needing the support right now, especially as Stuart had gone so quiet and looked so angry. So she moved herself to be right beside him and put her own hand to his back. He glanced down at her in confusion and she only shrugged, her eyes telling him that the secret was out anyway so there really was no point. Eddie answered her look by putting his arm around her waist loosely and pulling her against him, leaving enough room for her to move away quickly if that's what she wanted. Only she moved even closer, and he had to fight off the smug grin he longed to sport for the rest of the night.

"So, how long?" Matt asked again, hoping that nobody could deny him seeing as it was his birthday. He was positively buzzing with the news, thrilled to the core at what he'd come across. He definitely needed to speak to Steph later about how she kept such important information from him especially, but he felt it had something to do with the man that was currently holding her against him.

However, Matt couldn't see just how hard Stuart was holding onto Steph, and she had to stop herself from wincing as Matt asked again and the attention continued to be on the newly outed couple. She snuck a look to his face and he was practically red with anger, so she only hoped this wouldn't have too many repercussions for her.

Eddie looked to Rachel to answer, not wanting to step out of line with his words. Truthfully, he wouldn't mind shouting about being with her from the rooftops. But he knew how much she'd hate that, and they were yet to have a discussion to the true nature of their relationship. They weren't children, hadn't discussed labels or what this meant for the future. Eddie only knew how happy Rachel made him, and that was enough. But now he was faced with the question that he truly had no answer for. Or he just didn't want to voice his opinion for fear of being shot down.

Rachel rolled her eyes at the excited looks on everyone's faces, knowing there was no use denying it or shifting around the truth now. She avoiding looking at Eddie, knowing he was giving her space to answer and was ready to back her no matter what she said. That thought alone gave her the answer she needed. "Alright, you caught us. We're together. Nobody needs to know details, and you won't get anymore from me."

"Or me." Eddie tried, and failed, to hide the wobble in his voice as he backed her up, overwhelmed with feelings as she openly admitted their relationship to the entire room. It was a big deal for her, and an even bigger deal for their relationship. As he looked around he spotted that Steph and Stuart had disappeared, and he only hoped that she was okay after the revelation.


	14. Chapter 14

Rachel noticed too, and nudged him. "Did you see where they went?"

"No. Think she'll be alright?"

She bit her lip. "He wouldn't risk anything here," she hedged, uncertain even as she said it. They glanced at each other, and in silent agreement parted to go opposite ways. Eddie went outside, listening carefully for sounds while Rachel headed towards the entrance, where there was also a cloakroom and some toilets.

As she stepped out, she heard raised voices and quickly pressed closer to the wall, hoping the shadows would hide her.

"They think they're so clever!" she heard Stuart seething, but couldn't see anything beyond faint movement around the corner. There was a mumble, which she assumed was Steph. "I don't care!" Stuart snapped. "I'll find a way around it!"

Rachel inhaled sharply as he stalked out into the open, so intent on where he was going that he didn't see her hidden in the dark, and as soon as he was through the doors she hurried to where he'd come from, finding Steph leant against the wall with her head tipped back. "Are you okay?"

She looked up, and Rachel was relieved when she couldn't see anything physically wrong with her. "I'm fine. I managed to get him out before he said anything."

Rachel felt her stomach clench. "I'm sorry. That shouldn't be on you."

"Bah." She waved a hand in the air. "I'm just glad he didn't want anything more. I have some standards."

Rachel winced.

Steph's eyes went wide. "I didn't mean like that!"

"I know what you meant," Rachel assured her, moving to lean opposite her. "We knew he wasn't going to take Eddie and I being in a relationship very well. I'd hoped he wouldn't find out yet."

Steph smirked. "Then maybe you should have had a bit more self-control," she teased. Rachel flushed.

"Shut up."

Life almost returned to normal after that, and both Rachel and Eddie forgot there was even a threat hanging over them as they got themselves adjusted to their new relationship. It seemed Rachel's admission at the party had opened a side to her Eddie had never seen before, one where she was more open than before. Even at work, she didn't shy away from contact and even initiated small things when in the presence of staff. It wasn't major to any normal couple, but a simple gesture such as touching his arm or brushing her hand down his back were real achievements for Eddie and he gratefully took them as a win. When they weren't at work, they spent most of their time outside of it together, thinking of new places to travel to so they could be themselves and not have to worry about being seen by students. The staff knowing was one thing, the students finding out would be a completely different board game.

So when almost a week passed without incident, it really wasn't either of their faults when they got a little too carried away in their office after school had finished. Eddie was trialing kissing down her neck as he simultaneously massaged her shoulders and whispered him promises for what was to come, only to be interrupted by a knock and Steph letting herself in without invitation.

"Do you two ever stop?" She accused on entry, rolling her eyes at just how loved up they were. Her heart ached for what they had but found herself too happy for them to really care.

Rachel didn't even bother to respond to her question, knowing that she didn't really have an answer as Eddie stood up straight and hid himself behind her large office chair. "What is it?" She focused instead on why Steph was there, knowing her week was too good to be true.

"It's Stuart. He'd planning to tell everyone, tomorrow. He wants my help." There was no use beating around the bush, trying to think of a nice way to say it when there was no nice way to deal such news. She'd rushed to tell them as soon as she'd ended the call, grateful that he was too busy putting his plan into motion to want to see her in person.

Eddie finally found his voice again and coughed to clear his throat, hoping the blush had died down on his cheeks by now. "What have you told him?"

"That I'd do it. I didn't know what else to do, I didn't want to put my foot in it." Steph hoped she hadn't stepped out of line, but truly had been caught off guard by Stuart's phone call and just how happy he sounded to finally have an idea how to get rid of Rachel once and for all.

Rachel began to shake, her entire body covered in chills as she looked up at Eddie. He placed a hand on her shoulder and she immediately covered it with her own, needing the support. "What's he got in mind?"

"A meeting of some sort, he's invited governors and the LEA. The only person he's not invited is.."

"Me." Rachel interrupted, her blood having gone cold as Steph relayed the information.

"Yeah."

"And what does he want with you? No offence."

"He thinks having me there will help his case I think, another person to say you shouldn't be running the place." Steph hasn't really pushed for details, only got a time and a place from him before wanting to tell Rachel and Eddie so they could think of their next steps. This was their one chance to stop Stuart once and for all, before the news came crashing out and burned to the floor around them.

"Rach? What do you want to do?"

Rachel was staring at her wrist, at the bracelet Eddie had given her at the weekend. "We can't stop this from coming out, can we?"

Over her head, Eddie and Steph exchanged a long look. "I don't see how," the former admitted reluctantly. Rachel closed her eyes for a long moment.

"Then we pre-empt him," she decided. There was silence from the other two in the room.

Eddie spoke first. "What?"

"I'm going to go the police tonight," Rachel said softly, still looking at the bracelet. "I'll accuse him of blackmail, give them the recording. With a little luck, there'll be a case for harassment as well."

She didn't have to look up to envision the looks on their faces. She waited patiently, knowing one of them would break long before she did.

It was Steph. "Have you lost your mind?" she demanded. "It'll be career suicide! There is no way that could be kept quiet! It'll be in the papers within days!"

"But it will stop him from winning!" Rachel snapped, finally lifting her head.

"This isn't a game, Rachel!" Eddie argued.

"Don't you think I know that? This is my life! I can't stop Stuart from destroying it, but I can make sure it's on my terms!"

Steph and Eddie exchanged another look. She shot him a glare that very clearly meant 'deal with this!' only to receive a helpless shrug back in a lost 'I don't know how'. She gritted her teeth, looking back towards the headteacher. "There must be another way…"

"I don't see how!"

"Rachel, sweetheart, think this though…"

"I have!" She looked at Eddie with exhausted eyes. "He's been wanting this from the beginning. We cost him his business, Eddie, the thing he's spent his life building. Apparently, revenge for that is worth losing his freedom for. We can't win here."

"We can try!"

She inclined her head in agreement. "Which is why I'll go to the police. I'll send an email to the governors and the LEA telling them the charges I'm accusing Stuart of. If they hold true to form, they'll call a meeting, or just show up and I'll… I'll tell them the rest."

Eddie shook his head. "No. No, this isn't right. He's still winning this way. There's got to be something else, something we've overlooked. I know it."


	15. Chapter 15

But Rachel knew she had to think of her school before herself in such an instance, and didn't want to put the place through such a scandal when she was finally pulling it out of the ground. If she left now, she'd be leaving in safe hands with Eddie and she couldn't ask for much more. "Listen, with any luck they'll let me stay. It's a slim chance, but if not.. they've got you." She looked right at him then, hoping he could see the sincerity in her eyes.

Eddie did, but it didn't mean he was happy about it. He refused to believe any scenario that didn't involve her at the head of the school, and couldn't imagine having to work without her by his side each day. He had so much to say to her, but didn't fancy having Steph as witness when he spilled his guts to Rachel and told her his true feelings. So with a look in Steph's direction to confirm that was she in fact still in the room, she simply shook his head and moved closer to Rachel. "This place can't lose you Rach, you're needed here. I need you here."

"Now hold on." They were both interrupted by Steph, who looked simply bored of their conversation and the fact that was she having to witness it. "I hate to break up this love fest, but let me help? I'm involved in this now."

Rachel pulled her eyes away from the sincerity shining in Eddie's own and looked back to Steph. "How? We're done Steph, I'm done. He's won."

They both ignored Eddie's huff and roll of his eyes, so he crossed his arm in protest.

"Only if you let him win. Where the Rachel gone that started here? Who took Bolton bloody Smilie to a prison and made him cry?" She asked, a determined look in her eye that even Rachel felt slightly wary of.

"It's not like I like this Steph."

Steph crossed the room then, taking Rachel by the arms and almost shaking her. "Then do something about it." She ordered, voice raising slightly before composing herself again. "I'll distract Stuart and make sure tomorrow doesn't happen."

Eddie stepped beside Rachel, putting a hand around her waist to show her that she had his support as they both listened to Steph's plan. "How will you do that?"

Steph shook her head, she hadn't thought that far ahead yet but needed to get Rachel onside before she thought for herself. "That doesn't matter, but I'll do it. I'll only do it though, if you stop being stupid and start fighting for your job." The blank looks on both their faces had Steph wanting to tear her hair out, wondering if she was going to have to do everything herself. "I'll stop the meeting, for tomorrow anyway. Rachel, contact the most senior Governor you can. Or member of the LEA, whoever you need. Get them onside, secure your job and then what does Stuart have against you? Nothing." She didn't wait for them to answer, rather proud of herself and the plan that she had thought of alone and on the spot.

Eddie looked marginally impressed, and shifted his gaze to Rachel for her approval, telling her with his eyes that the decision was hers entirely.

"Steph, that's brilliant." Rachel exclaimed, finally a smile sneaking its way onto her face. That's what she wanted, to fight for her job and keep the career she had so desperately fought for. It would be hard telling anyone about her past, but if she'd been able to get through telling Eddie, telling anyone else would be far easier. "I could kiss you."

"Please don't. Kiss Eddie instead."

They both watched as Steph rolled her eyes and breezed away from the room, knowing she was no longer needed with a plan in place. As they watched her go, they locked out and let out a laugh. "It's good to know Steph is staying true to herself." Eddie commented, knowing that their real time to worry would be if she was being uncharacteristically nice to either one of them. Her sarcastic comments and roll of her eyes were a sure sign that no matter what was thrown her way, she was still the old Steph deep down. And Rachel hated to admit it, but she was glad of that.

Steph strode down the corridor, wondering what her chances were of simply persuading Stuart not to go ahead with the meeting tomorrow. Maybe if she came up with a good reason? Not that she could think of one at that moment…

As she passed a classroom, she did a double take. It was far too late for students to still be hanging around school, which was why she was so surprised to see Bolton Smilie sat on one of the desks, staring at his hands. For a moment, she seriously considered carrying on walking. But she rather thought she was spending too much time with Rachel and Eddie and couldn't quite bring herself to do it, so with a sigh she opened the door. "You spending the night, Bolton?" He glanced up at her, shrugged, and she sighed as she came closer. "Alright, out with it. What's going on?"

"Nothing."

She pursed her lips, coming to lean on the table next to him. "You'll have to be a little more convincing than that, I'm afraid."

"It's nothing!" He surged to his feet, grabbing his bag but faster than any of the kids would have thought possible, her hand shot out and grabbed his shoulder.

"Sit!" Her tone left no room for argument and he did so without thinking. Steph sighed. "Miss Mason's still here, I'll can go get her if you'd prefe-,"

"NO!" As if an electric current had run through him, Bolton stiffened, eyes wide and panicked. Steph frowned, concern flicking through her.

"Are you in some sort of trouble?" she asked more gently. "Bolton, you know Miss Mason would be disappointed, but she wouldn't judge."

He looked miserable. "I'm not the one in trouble."

"Then who?"

"I can't tell you!" He kicked a chair, slumping back onto the desk. "Not that it'll matter after tomorrow," he muttered, "he'll have told everyone by then."

His words rang a bell. She frowned, tilting her head. "Who will have told what?"

He looked alarmed for a moment, before blanking his face and shrugging. Steph was about to snap at him, to demand he explain himself when she was unpleasantly reminded of something else due to happen tomorrow… where a 'he' was telling people something. Coupled with Bolton's sudden aversion to seeing Rachel…

Oh no.

"Bolton," she said softly, "you were at work this morning, weren't you?" He nodded. "And Mr Hordley- he told you something." Another nod. "About Miss Mason?" Bolton's gaze flicked to hers, and that was all the confirmation she needed. "About her past?" She almost didn't want to know the answer, but Bolton looked at her properly, gave a jerky nod and she closed her eyes. "Bastard. Not you," she added quickly.

"You know, Miss?"

"Yes, I know." She looked at him, with his wide eyes and slightly desperate expression, and was all of a sudden reminded of just how young he was. Not only young, she thought, but it was no secret the boy was closer to Rachel than any other teacher, and looked up to her. This would require quite the explanation, and she had no idea how to start.


	16. Chapter 16

Rachel would be distraught to know that Bolton of all people knew of her past, so Steph knew it was another case for damage control before they once again lost control of what could happen. So Steph found herself sat across from Bolton as he told her everything that Stuart had filled him in on, her anger growing with each sentence as he whittled off information that no child should have any idea about. It was as he was speaking that she noticed just how exhausted the teenager was looking, and Steph felt a pang of the emotions she was sure Rachel felt each time the headteacher fought to protect one of her students. It was just another occasion in which Steph realised she had gotten her boss so wrong, had thought she was simply a busybody who liked to involve herself in others business when in fact she really did care. "Bolton, I want you to listen to me." Steph began as soon as Bolton had finished, having worked himself up to a frenzy whilst repeating everything Stuart had said. "What Mr Hordley has told you, I won't lie to you, it's true. But that doesn't mean you need to think any bad of Miss Mason."

"No, I know that."

"You do?" Steph asked, shocked at the response. She expected that she would be needing to calm Bolton down, to persuade him not to tell all of his mates and have everyone know Rachel's secret by the morning.

Bolton rolled his eyes, not surprised that his French teacher knew he wouldn't have the best intentions. "Yeah, I know that Miss. Look, I've done bad shit.. sorry. I mean, I've done bad stuff before. And Miss Mason didn't care about that when she came here." He shrugged, overcome with gratitude once more for his head teacher and everything she had helped him with. Even with his job being so hard and tiring, it was still another thing he wouldn't have without the help of Miss Mason. He had no doubt that if she hadn't helped him when she first started, he'd no longer be a pupil at Waterloo Road and would be earning his keep some other way. "Why should I care what's she done? But I think Mr Hordley doesn't want her here, and he's going to try and get rid." His anger mounted again at the thought of someone taking Miss Mason's job, someone who didn't care and wanted all the bad kids gone.

Steph had to wait a minute to respond, to fully comprehend what it was that Bolton was saying. She took one look at him and knew she believed him wholeheartedly, knew he wasn't on the bluff to get something else that he wanted. "I think you're right at Mr Hordley, but I think there's a way you could help." She began to tell Bolton of an idea she'd had, a way to put another nail in Stuart's coffin that she couldn't do without him. If he told the governors about the hours he was doing, about his pay and how it was affecting his school work, there was no way that could be disputed. That, alongside the proof Rachel had on Stuart blackmailing her was a sure way to kick him to the curb once and for all. "So, what do you think?" She asked, hoping that he agreed as she really couldn't do it without him.

"If it helps Miss Mason, then I'm in."

"You're a good boy, Bolton." And unusually for her, she meant it. "Come with me."

He trailed after her obediently, but they didn't need to go quite as far as she thought when she spotted Rachel and Eddie up ahead, the former tucked closely against her deputy's side. "Rachel!"

She heard Bolton's footsteps stop dead. "Miss!" he hissed, tone horrified. He might not have cared about his headteacher's past, but he didn't want her to know that he knew.

Ahead of them, Rachel and Eddie both turned and upon spotting Bolton being pushed along by Steph, comically stepped apart as quickly as they could. But there was no way the boy hadn't seen, as shown by the smirk on his face and Rachel flushed red, ducking her head away for a moment before managing to give him a bland look, hoping her blush wasn't too evident. "You're here late, Bolton."

"We have a… development," Steph said, propelling the boy nearer. Eddie tensed.

"What do you mean?"

Bolton had a mortified look on his face as he looked anywhere but the three adults. Steph already knew this wasn't going to go down particularly well. "Stuart told Bolton."

The words echoed around Rachel's head, the colour draining away from her face. She was vaguely aware Eddie had moved closer to her, that Bolton was still looking at the ground as she tried to quell the nauseous feeling in her stomach, tried to get her breathing under control as she fought the urge to panic.

"I think he hoped Bolton would tell everyone else, turn the kids against you," Steph continued, and Eddie's eyes flashed.

"Are you?" He challenged the boy, shifting as if to step closer but Rachel's hand shot out to stop him, fingers gripping his arm.

"Eddie!"

Bolton swallowed thickly as he eyed Eddie, but shook his head. "'Course not." He glanced at Rachel, and was wildly uncomfortable at the almost frightened look on her face, directed at him. "Miss," he began, shifting on the spot and barely managing to avoid glancing towards Miss Haydock, "aren't you the one who told me that we shouldn't let mistakes in our past affect our future? Or something like that anyway."

"Bolton, I don't-,"

"You're the best teacher I've ever had," he blurted out, cheeks hot as he avoided her eyes. "You're the first person who ever saw past the fights and detentions. Not even my mum always could. Hordley's dead wrong about you. And I reckon there's going to be a lot more kids like me who need you here, so you can't let him win. This place won't be the same without you."

As soon as his little speech was over, Rachel had to fight the urge to weep on the spot. Eddie was watching her closely and realised just how emotional she was, and how much Bolton's words meant to her. He knew that even though she was more embarrassed than he was sure she'd felt in a long time with the knowledge that Bolton know of her past, that would pale in comparison to how she'd feel if she cried her feelings in front of the teenager. So he decided to take change, to save her from speaking in fear her voice would break and she'd crumbled in front of them all. He took a step towards Bolton, clapping a hand on his shoulder to show his appreciation. "It's been a long day, for us all." Eddie commented, smiling a small smile in what he hoped was a reassuring way. He was going to have to be the strong one here, for all one then. "You get home and go to bed, you look shattered. Tomorrow, come here and we'll talk, yeah?" Bolton avoided his eyes, nodding his head in agreement and simply itching to get away.

As soon as Eddie removed his hand, the boy made a bolt for the stairs. He took one last look behind him before he sped off. "Thank you, Miss Haydock. For listening." Knowing his street cred was completely out the window at this point in time, especially to these three adults, he decided it didn't bother him half as much as he thought it would when he caught the obviously grateful look on Miss Mason's face. "Don't worry Miss, your secret is safe with me." His word was his bond, and he hoped she knew that as he finally took his leave and ran down the stairs taking them two at a time. He really did want to be home and sleeping as fast as humanly possible, although not without giving his mum a hug first. So maybe he was going soft, shoot him.

The three watched the boy go and Eddie turned back to Steph, wonder in his eyes as he realised just how much they really could rely on her to help them in this situation. "You too Steph, go home.. have a glass of red on me. We'll see you tomorrow." His words left no room for argument, not that Steph was planning on doing that anyway. She was beat, emotionally exhausted after the days events. Plus she had Stuart to sort out, and a meeting to stop before she could really rest.

With that thought she stepped towards Rachel and lay a hand on her shoulder, offering a warm smile to the woman who looked ready to pass out from exhaustion. "I'm going to sort Stuart, okay? That meeting won't happen, you have my word." She truly had no idea where to even begin with it, but was damn sure she'd be trying everything in her power to follow through with her words. "Night you two, make sure she gets some sleep Eddie." With another warm smile, she was off to collect her bag from her classroom and onto the next job she had to complete. Eddie's offer on red wine would definitely be coming, but not until this mess was dealt with.

Now the two of them were alone once more, Eddie turned to ask Rachel if she was okay. Only her face told him her answer, as did her actions when she fell against him and gave out to her exhaustion. "This is a mess." She mumbled against his shirt, her words a jumble as she fought to even keep her eyes open.

"Let's go, we can talk after you've napped. I'll even run you a bath for when you wake up." Unfortunately they were in no position for Rachel to simply sleep away her worries and wake up the next morning, no matter how much she needed it. But Eddie was determined to make sure it was as easy for her as possible, with him by her side with each step they needed to take.


	17. Chapter 17

Uncharacteristically, Rachel fell asleep in the car on the way home, a troubled look remained on her face even as she slumbered. Eddie kept giving her concerned glances, especially when he pulled up outside and she didn't even stir. He reached out, brushed the backs of his fingers over her cheeks. "Rach, we're here."

She hummed, wincing as she shifted her neck out of the awkward position it had ended up in. She was quiet as they went inside, collapsing onto the sofa without even taking her shoes off. Eddie trailed after her, frowning worriedly. "Are you getting ill?"

"I don't know. I hope not, I don't have the time." She raised her hand to her own forehead, trying to tell if she had a temperature. Eddie took over for her.

"You don't feel hot."

"Maybe I'm just tired."

"Why don't you lay down for a while?" he suggested. "I'll make a start on dinner."

A wave of guilt washed over her. "Are you sure?"

"More than." He pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I'll come and wake you when it's ready."

She nodded, fully intending to go upstairs as he left the room to hang his jacket up. She'd go in a minute, but it was such a long way and all she wanted to do was close her eyes. With a gargantuan effort, she managed to unzip her boots and tug them off, leaving them where they fell as she snuggled back into the sofa. She would only be there a minute, just to muster up the energy to climb the stairs…

Two hours later, Eddie found her fast asleep, still on the sofa. He picked up her boots and stowed them away, brushing his hand over her head again, relieved when she still didn't seem warmer than she should have been. Although that did beg the question of why was she suddenly so tired?

He debated not waking her, but decided that if she found herself wide awake at 3am because he'd let her sleep, it would do more harm than good. "Rachel. Sweetheart, wake up. You've been asleep for hours."

She blinked blearily at him, then looked around and frowned in confusion. "I don't even remember falling asleep. I guess I didn't make it to the bedroom."

"Apparently not. I made duck salad for dinner, is that okay?"

She smiled at him. "It's like having a personal chef," she joked, and tugged him down to kiss him. "Thank you for earlier, by the way."

"You don't have to thank me." He pulled her to her feet, guided her to the kitchen. "Bolton's a good lad. You've done amazingly with him."

"He did most of it himself. I just can't believe that Stuart would-," she cut herself off, and Eddie snorted as he fetched the plates.

"I can. Though I don't quite understand the timing of it. Why do it now?"

She sighed. "I've given up trying to understand him. What sort of person would rather go to prison that walk away scot free?"

"A crazy one?" he deadpanned, and was rewarded by her laughter, however faint.

When the plates had been cleared and the food eaten, Rachel felt herself gaining some of her strength back. She was lucky to have Eddie, who had allowed her to sleep and dutifully cooked her dinner. So with that in mind, she sent him off to the living room with a smile. "Wait for me in there, I'll wash up." She pushed delicately, standing to retrieve his plate and rewarding him with a small kiss.

He was by her side as soon as her back was turned though,

"I'll help."

"No you won't, you cooked. Let me do this and I'll be in." She ordered softly, her voice leaving no room for argument as she shooed him away with the tea towel.

Rachel was hopping along to her own humming as she finished up, far more awake after her nap and trying not to think about the days events that had occurred. She wanted one night to just focus on her and Eddie, to try and enjoy the fact that they were finally a couple after months of dancing around another and their feelings. Only that was too much to ask for, and she finally turned after finishing to find Eddie stood waiting for her with a look on his face that she couldn't quite read. "What is it?" She asked, almost scared to hear the answer.

"It's Steph." Eddie answered, plain and simply. There was no use beating around the bush.

"Oh god, what?"

"The meeting is off. I don't know how she's done it but she has."

The pure elation that crossed Rachel's face was enough for Eddie to cross the room and pick her up into his arms. Her legs wrapped around him as a reaction, and she found herself kissing him with all of her might as she struggled to contain her happiness.

Eddie pulled back from her kisses, earning a soft groan from her that almost had him forgetting his train of thought. But he didn't want to get carried away, not yet anyway. "It's sorted for now, but we've got to think of something. Bolton could help, we need to arrange a meeting."

Rachel nodded her agreement, but she was so desperate to get back to kissing him that she would agree to pretty much anything. "We will. We'll discuss it later. But not now."

"Not now?" Eddie asked, figuring that Rachel would want their next steps mapped and worked out before the evening was through.

"No Eddie, not now." And she kissed him again, the passion needing no more explanation as Eddie picked her back up and started to carry her upstairs to the bedroom.


	18. Chapter 18

When Steph walked into Rachel's office the next morning, she couldn't have stopped her smirk from forming if she'd tried. "Now there's a smile." She looked at Rachel appraisingly. "What on earth did Eddie do to you last night?"

"Steph!" Rachel felt her face heat up. "A little professionalism, please?"

"Now where's the fun in that?"

She rolled her eyes, and hoped that whatever Steph saw hadn't been too obvious to everyone else she'd come into contact with that morning. "Did you want something?"

Steph's grin faded. "Stuart."

"I don't know how you did it," Rachel admitted. "But thank you."

"Don't thank me yet. You haven't heard what I had to come up with."

"Uh oh."

She took a seat in front of the desk, a faintly apologetic look on her face. "The only thing I could think of was to persuade him it was better to humiliate you in person, and maybe in front of the students as well. He's going to use today's meeting to discuss changes to the building project and is planning something much bigger to out you."

"Wonderful."

Steph looked a bit sheepish. "Sorry."

Rachel waved her off. "It gives us time, at least, which is more than we had last night. Thank you."

Steph leant back. "What are we going to do?"

A thought occurred to Rachel. "You said the meeting today is still happening?"

She shrugged. "He could hardly call a meeting and then cancel it without good reason. Why?"

"Maybe we can use it to discredit him a little. Not much, mind you."

Steph looked baffled. "How?"

"This is my school, I'm supposed to be included in decisions about building work. If we can figure out a way to draw attention to the fact he deliberately didn't tell me anything..."

"You have a good relationship with the LEA. Do you know someone there who could help?"

Rachel nibbled her lip, thinking. "Maybe. If I could find an excuse to call anyway..."

"Sounds like a plan. Half a plan, anyway," she amended.

Rachel smiled, an odd look Steph couldn't decipher coming over her face. "You know, I really do appreciate what you're doing," Rachel said quietly.

Steph shrugged. The sentiment was welcome, but mushy emotional stuff with her boss wasn't her thing, and she suspected it wasn't Rachel's either. "Remember that when considering pay rises," she joked, and just as she'd wanted, Rachel laughed.

"I'll see you later, Steph."

The other woman rose to her feet, but couldn't resist turning at the door. "You know, you should tell Eddie to repeat what he did last night every night," she said cheekily. "It seems to be working for you!"

"Steph!"

It didn't take long for Rachel to make the small travel down to Eddie's classroom and discuss what she'd spoken to Steph about. "What do you think?"

Eddie watched the vulnerability flash behind her eyes and his heart ached to save her from the hurt she was feeling. He wished to take away all of her worries, hated that she was even having to go through this in the first place. But if he had taught her anything, he hoped that she truly knew she wasn't alone and she'd never have to fight without him by her side again. "I think Steph's right, which isn't something I ever thought I'd say. And don't tell her I said so either." He joked, glad that they had someone else on their side also. He know it made it easier for Rachel to know someone else knew of her story and was also on her side. "Maybe ring Colin from the LEA? Ask him if he can come to the school for a meeting. When he says no, you'll be able to ask why."

Rachel looked to Eddie in shock, blinking a few times at the sheer brilliance that had just come out his mouth. "Eddie, I could kiss you." Then, Rachel realised what it was she'd said and rolled her eyes. She could kiss him, so why wasn't she doing just that? They didn't have long, so she moved from where she'd perched herself on the end of his desk and pressed her lips to him, taking his face in her hands and she grinned against his mouth.

Eddie soaked up every moment of her happiness and delighted in the fact he had been the cause of it. When air became essential, he pulled away and pushed a lock of hair behind her ear. "Let me know if you need help with anything." He heard a noise from the corridor and caught sight of the clock, meaning the doors would be opening shortly. "Now if you don't mind Miss Mason, could you please stop distracting me in my work place?" He teased, earning himself a smack on the shoulder as they both stood up.

"The cheek!" Rachel felt lighter than she had in a while, a plan in place and sharing jokes with the man who was supporting her through it all. They really needed to properly when this was done, maybe a nice break over summer. With that thought, she said a final goodbye to Eddie with a smile and set off back towards her office; asking Bridget not to disturb her unless it was urgent as she got hold of Colin's number. "Mr Giles, it's Rachel Mason from Waterloo Road. I was wondering if you were free anytime today for a meeting at the school? I've got a few things I thought best to be discussed in person." Truthfully, Rachel had nothing and knew she would be stuttering for an answer if pressed for more information. Luckily, she didn't need to think any further, as as predicted, Colin was greatly confused. "Aren't you coming to Mr Hordley's meeting?"

Rachel took a moment to act surprised, hoping her voice didn't sound too strange and being grateful it was over the phone as her face always gave her away. "Meeting? What meeting?"

"Now that is strange.. Stuart wants a meeting about the academy, it doesn't start for 2 hours. I'm sure it's a mistake, but you should be there shouldn't you?"

"Is it for Waterloo Road? You're sure?" She asked, innocence laced in her voice to the point where she was thoroughly impressed with her own performance.

"I'm sure. Why don't you come? I'll meet you there?"

Rachel agreed, careful to maintain a slightly perplexed tone in her voice until she hung up. She must have been a better actress than she thought. A quick trip past Eddie's classroom to give him a covert thumbs up, unseen by his year eights before she poked her head into Steph's empty room. The blonde raised an eyebrow at her. "People really are going to talk."

She rolled her eyes. "What exactly were you supposed to be doing for Stuart during the meeting?"

"Distracting you, if needed," she shrugged. "Why?"

"You may want to think of an excuse as to why you didn't."

Realisation washed over Steph. "Easy enough. Troublesome student, issue in the cooler- he won't question it. You're going then?"

She nodded. "Sitting across from him is risky, but the look on his face when I walk in may make it worth it."

"What I wouldn't give to be a fly on the wall…"

Rachel grinned at her, withdrawing and the paperwork in her office kept her busy until it was time to leave. Sure enough, Colin was waiting for her, smiling at her approach. "Rachel."

"Afternoon," she greeted, shaking his hand with a smile just as warm. "You look well."

"My wife's got us on a new diet. Don't tell her I said so, but I feel great."

They both laughed. "And how are the boys?"

"My eldest just broke his arm playing rugby. It was the end of the world until he realised it means he doesn't have to write in his exams." He winked at her, prompting another laugh. "Shall we?"

"Of course."

They walked in together, Rachel shoving down the nerves she felt. "Most odd that you wouldn't have been invited to this," Colin commented.

She hummed an agreement. "I knew nothing about it. And it wasn't an oversight on my part, I checked. I haven't received any communication from Mr Hordley in some time now- as far as I knew, everything is proceeding as planned."

"Most odd," he repeated thoughtfully. She hid a smile, knowing he was thinking exactly what she wanted him to. He guided her into the room with a hand on her back, a move that from anyone else she would have shrugged off but from him she allowed, knowing he meant nothing of it. The table was already filling up, a handful of people stood around chatting, including a certain construction owner. Colin headed straight towards him, and his guidance meant Rachel was going to. "Mr Hordley!"

He looked up, and Rachel watched in pleasure as his gaze locked onto her, unadulterated surprise flashing across his face. It was quickly followed by anger and frustration, before he smoothed the expression and plastered on a politer, welcoming one. She'd been right, Rachel thought as they walked closer. His expression had been worth it.


	19. Chapter 19

Rachel listened dutifully as Stuart droned on about the changes he wanted to make, shocking herself at just how sickly sweet she made her replies. It was as if she had always meant to be there, but she knew it raised a few heads with the scathing looks Stuart was throwing her way. Luckily she had Colin on side if any questions were raised, and she definitely could play along if asked by anyone else. Stuart stumbled a few times as he caught sight of Rachel still sat there, throwing him off from his thought process as it was an extra body he didn't imagine to be there. But with each roll of his eyes, Rachel felt herself sitting higher. He was clearly uncomfortable with her being there, and that thought alone left her gleeful that she was able to give him a taste of his own medicine.

It wasn't long before the break was called and all members around the table broke off to get their caffeine fix, but Rachel stayed glued to her seat as she knew Stuart would be over before long. She was right, and the seat that was previously occupied by Colin was suddenly filled with his body. "What are you doing here Amanda?" His words were pure poison, but there was a hint of worry laced in his voice.

Rachel took great joy from being able to ruin his plans so dramatically, and simply rolled her eyes as she faced him. "This is my school Stuart, did you really think this could happen without my say so?" She hoped she sounded cool and collected, wanted him to think she'd known what he was planning for a while. She glanced over at Colin, who showed no signs of returning as he engaged in conversation with another board member. "I asked for a meeting with someone from the LEA, and they were furious to find out I wasn't invited to such an important meeting. Such a silly mistake to make Mr Hordley." She didn't think it was possible, but Stuart's face turned beet red with anger as she continued to taunt him.

"You have no idea what a mistake you've made." Stuart tried, but knew his argument was pretty pointless. He had made a mistake in calling this meeting, why had he let Steph talk him out of his original plans. Glancing another look at Rachel, he wondered if she'd been let in on his little secrets that he'd shared with Ms Haydock. But a memory of Steph spewing words of venom against Rachel came back to play in his mind, and he knew he had a true confidant in her.

Rachel shrugged, looking away and knowing she needed to leave before it got any uglier. She'd accomplished what she wanted to, had riled Stuart up and made a point of embarrassing him in front of the LEA. She'd be stupid to stay and cause more trouble for herself. "I'll be off. Good luck with your plans Stuart, the academy sounds like it's coming along perfectly." She announced loudly, making a show of smiling at him before walking towards the group that were mingling around the coffee. She claimed an issue back at the school and apologised for having to run off, then quickly made her way out towards her car for a breather. It was a great feeling to have caught him out in such a way, but knew she didn't have long before he put his new plan into place. He was now furious with her, would want to out her in the worst way possible. Hopefully with Steph's insider knowledge, they'd know when. They just didn't to know exactly what to say when that occurred.

The middle of the school day usually ensured that the vast majority of students were either safely sequestered in a class or the library, meaning that the last thing Rachel was expecting was to run across any as she parked her car up and headed back into the building. Of course, that was quickly scuppered when she rounded the corner, and came face-to-face with Bolton.

His eyes widened, and he looked as surprised as she felt. "Why aren't you in class?"

"Er…"

She raised an eyebrow. "Well…"

"Sorry miss."

She didn't miss the fact that through the whole exchange, he hadn't met her eyes and she pressed her lips together. One problem at a time. "Where are you supposed to be?"

"Mr Budgen's class."

She hummed. "Well, he'll hardly notice if you're not there for the rest of lesson."

His head snapped up. "For real?"

"One time offer, I assure you, and only because I want to talk to you. If I catch you again you'll go straight to the cooler."

He looked pleased. "Thanks miss."

"Bolton… I do realise that this must all be very uncomfortable for you," she said softly, and his gaze immediately turned to the floor again as he shrugged. "If it's any consolation, it's more than uncomfortable for me as well."

That seemed to bring him up short, and Rachel was reminded once more how many teenagers seemed to believe that their teachers had no lives outside of school. Bolton shuffled his feet. "Why does Hordley have it out for you, miss?" he blurted out.

Rachel bit her lip. Bolton was no longer just a student- not only did he know things about her that most adults in her life didn't, but he was actively lying to protect her, and about to do something that would cost him his job. "I'm not completely sure," she admitted, and saw the disbelieving, disappointed look on his face. "He's angry that we turned the tables on him and put his business in jeopardy. But I think he's angrier that… that I turned him down. Bit of a blow to his pride."

Bolton looked startled, but then a slow smile spread across his faced. "You turned him down? Good for you miss."

She hummed, cheeks hot as she looked away.

"Mr Lawson's a much better choice."

She whipped her head around to face him, eyes wide as her mouth dropped open. "What?"

He chuckled. "Was that supposed to be a secret too? You don't hide it very well. He had his arm around you where anyone could see the other night."

"Not having this conversation, Bolton." She just knew her cheeks had gone from pink to bright red, and she re-shouldered her bag. "I expect you to be in your next class."

"Yes miss. Miss?"

"Yes?" She paused, looked around at him and was undeniably relieved when he looked her in the eye.

He opened his mouth, closed it again. Shuffled on the spot. "I meant what I said the other evening," he blurted out eventually, and her gaze softened, emotion colouring her tone.

"Thank you, Bolton."


	20. Chapter 20

Feeling lighter than she had in a while, Rachel took a long route back to her office so she could simply walk the corridors of her school with a smile on her face. It had been a while since she'd simply appreciated how far she'd come, how much she enjoyed running the school and admiring the fact she was able to do so. With all Stuart's attempts to out her past, she found herself reflecting on the fact that she wasn't as ashamed of it as she first thought she was. Of course, she didn't want it to be public knowledge to her entire staff team and every student in the school. But it was also something to be quite proud of. She'd been in an awful place, an awful position and making choices that no child should ever have to make. But she got herself out of that, fought back stronger and not only got herself an education, but also fought her way to the top. There was a reason she was one of the countries youngest head teachers, and that was because she worked bloody hard to get that position. Plus, not everyone had such a negative reaction to her past. Some actually accepted it, and even loved her for it. Sure, they hadn't said those words to each other yet. But Rachel thought that she just might let them slip soon as she snuck a glance in at Eddie in full teacher mode as he got stuck into a lesson with year 9s on triangles.

She was enjoying her peaceful walk far too much to notice a presence behind her, until it was entirely too late and she found Steph following her into her office just seconds after she walked into it herself. "Can't I get a minutes peace?" But her words held no venom, refusing to drop her good mood even as she turned to face the blonde woman who at least had the decency to look sheepish.

Steph had noticed Rachel's smile, which is why she'd kept her distance instead of calling out to her in the corridor. She didn't want to be the one to break the spell she was under, but also couldn't leave it. "You've really done it this time Rachel, he's furious." There was no use sugarcoating it, so she simply laid it on the table. Truthfully, she was still slightly shaken after the conversation she'd had with Stuart over the phone.

"Does nobody in this school ever actually teach?" Rachel took off her coat and sat in her seat, gesturing for Steph to take one too as she was sure this wasn't going to be a short conversation.

"Save the hysterics for Eddie."

Rachel decided to ignore that little joke, rolling her eyes as she pointed out the obvious. "Isn't that what we wanted anyway? Stuart furious?"

"Well yeah." Steph stated the obvious, but didn't quite know how to survey the way Stuart had spoken to her. He was furious, an anger she'd never heard present in anyone else's voice as he described exactly how he was planning to ruin her bosses life. Even if she wasn't secretly helping Rachel, Steph definitely wouldn't feel comfortable with hearing anyone so gleeful about causing so much hurt and upset. "But he's upped his game. He's coming into school, tomorrow. He wants everyone to know."

"Do you know what Steph? Let him."

"Excuse me?" Steph's mouth dropped open, eyes blinking comically as she shook her head to clear her ears and hopefully would hear Rachel right the next time she spoke.

"You heard me, let him come. Because I'll have an army waiting for him when he arrives. If he's coming tomorrow then I'm going to be prepared."

"What are you going to do?"

Rachel shook her shoulders casually, a small smirk on her face as her eyes sparked with mischief. This was the moment she'd been waiting for, her confidence fully restored and the old Rachel truly back on top form. "Win."

Steph was baffled as Rachel picked up the phone, that same determined look on her face. "Colin? It's Rachel Mason. I realised I never actually spoke to you about what I originally called for this morning. It is important."

Steph's eyes widened as she realised exactly what the headteacher was planning. She slipped from the office, poked her head into Eddie's classroom. There was a half dozen sixth-formers in there, and she quickly waved Eddie out. "What's wrong?"

"You need to go talk to your girlfriend."

He raised an eyebrow. "Why, what's she done?"

She told him, and his eyes widened slightly. She crossed her arms unhappily. "She's moving too fast," she said, "she's panicking."

"I'll talk to her. Watch that lot for me."

She spluttered, but he was already striding away down the corridor. "What do I know about maths?" she muttered, but went into the classroom anyway.

When Eddie walked into her office, Rachel had already hung up the phone. She quirked an eyebrow at him as he entered, resisting the urge to sigh. "I'm beginning to feel like a child who's tattled on every time she does something," she commented.

He smiled faintly, flopped into a chair. "Are you sure?" he asked simply. She looked taken aback for a moment, before nodding.

"I am. This has gone on long enough. Even if this ends up in the worst possible scenario… at least it will have been on my terms and not Stuart bloody Hordley's."

He gave her a nod. "Okay. So- just how good was his expression when he saw you?"

She grinned. "Picture perfect."

Steph expected Eddie to return to say he'd sorted it, but he simply shrugged his shoulders in response. "She's a big girl Steph, she makes her decisions and I support what she wants." He settled his class with one look from behind the door, having taken Steph into the empty corridor to give them some privacy.

"You mean you're whipped." Steph quipped, smirking at him as she teased him gently. In all honestly she longed for what they had, the undeniable support and the way they protected one another through whatever it was they needed to face. Steph had her suspicions about the two of them for a while, knew pretty much as soon as Eddie arrived that he was off limits. Even after Matt found out he was single and begged her to try her luck, she saw the looks that passed between the two and knew her trying would be pretty pointless.

Eddie couldn't deny it, had been caught red handed. "Maybe so."

"Have you told her yet?" Steph probed, knowing that by his reaction that he probably hadn't.

"Told her what?"

"That you're in love with her."

Eddie practically choked on air, spluttering his words and shaking his head. "I have a class to teach, goodbye Steph." He began to walk away, done with the conversation now.

"You should tell her."

He heard her call out after him, but didn't stop as he walked back into his classroom and away form Steph's questions. With some miracle, he managed to continue his class as normal and got his year 13s back on track to complete the much needed revision before their exams. He answered any questions or worries they had before sending them on their way to the common room. He said it was so they could revise what they wished, but it was partly because he needed some time alone. He'd come to say those three words a few times to Rachel over past weeks, but stopped himself each time. He didn't want to scare her away, didn't want to come on too strong and give her reason to run. But Steph's words ran through his mind repeatedly, what if that was something she needed to hear? What if she was holding back for the same reasons, and didn't want to share her own thoughts through fear of rejection. Suddenly, he felt like he had a very bold statement to make and with 10 minutes until his next class, just the right amount of time to do it. He wasn't one for grand gestures, neither of them were. Rachel wouldn't appreciate the suspense of a romantic meal and a long winded speech. So he set off towards her office and only just stopped himself from barging in once more. Bridget told him she was alone, so he slipped into the room and was grateful she wasn't on the phone. She just about looked up from her screen and gave him a smile.

"Just the person. Colin is coming tomorrow morning, and I've got Steph to push Stuart off until after lunch so there's plenty of time." She whittled off all she'd been planning proudly, not aware that Eddie was barely listening until he was stood right in front of her. "Are you listening to me?" She teased gently, noticing the serious look on his face and wondering if something else was the matter.

"Do you know I'm in love with you?" He asked, completely out of the blue and not giving anyone a chance to mishear him as he took hold of her hands and pulled her up to stand with him.

But Rachel still shook her head as if to clear her ears, her eyes large as she blinked multiple times in confusion. "What?" She'd heard him perfectly well, just wanted to hear it one more time to be sure.

Eddie smiled softly, knowing she'd need more than that. "Rachel Mason, are you aware that I am hopelessly, head over heels in love with you?"


	21. Chapter 21

For a long moment, there was only silence as she stared at him with wide eyes. Until she surged forward and kissed him.

The suddenness of it reminded Eddie of that first kiss, downstairs after an awful day. Only this time, he already knew how her body melded against him, and how soft her hair was when he ran his fingers through it. He already knew the feel of her lips against his and yet somehow it never seemed routine.

This kiss was different. It shouldn't have been, but there was something behind it that there hadn't been before and he couldn't stop himself from pulling her as close to him as physically possible, her arms wrapping tightly around his neck, wrapped up completely in each other to the exclusion of all else, even breathing. Rachel was usually carefully reserved in school, afraid of being caught and looking unprofessional. Now, she threw caution to the wind and Eddie was hardly going to complain.

So wound up in each other, neither noticed how much time had passed until oxygen was becoming an issue, and they broke apart solely out of necessity. Even then, neither moved away, remaining pressed together as they tried to catch their breaths, eyes still closed and heads leaning against each other. Eddie stroked his thumb over her cheek, and managed half a grin. "I should make emotional declarations more often."

She smiled at him, opening her eyes to meet his gaze. "I wouldn't mind. You may want to hold off doing it publicly though- things are about to get very messy around me."

He frowned. "Rachel, you know I wouldn't care about that."

"I would," she said firmly. When his expression remained, she caught hold of his hand and interlaced their fingers. "Eddie, if this goes as wrong as it has the potential to, there is going to be a lot of uproar and a lot of change in this school. You need to be here for that, to help the staff and the kids. Something you won't be able to do if you've lost your job because you were associated with me. It's going to be complicated enough with the staff knowing."

"They won't be able to fire me for being involved with you."

"No, they'd find another reason. Or another head, who would find a way to push you out," she pointed out gently, but he still didn't look happy.

"I'm not going to moderate myself because of how other people might take it," he said resolutely. "If it takes me losing my job to stand beside you, so be it."

She sighed. "You're so stubborn."

"Now who does that remind me of?" He grinned, leaning over to kiss her again. It hadn't escaped his notice that she hadn't returned his sentiments verbally, but that was okay. He knew.

Eddie walked away feeling like he was flying, high on the adrenaline and still trying to catch his breath back from their little encounter. He spent the rest of the day in the same, both of them too busy to do much more than share a smile as she walked past his classroom on a mission. He knew they'd have a lot to discuss that even, plans to put in place and scenarios to discuss but for the minute, he was basking in the afterglow. He kept the same mood right until they were sat at the dinner table, food eaten and the serious conversation ready to be had. The next day would possibly be the biggest one of Rachel's career and he wanted to be there for her every step of the way, so wanted to make sure he said this now before it was too late. "If you leave Rach, I'm going too."

Rachel looked at him as if he was reciting a mathematic equation, brows furrowed in utter confusion. She'd expected to get straight down to the next day, to think of what she wanted to say and how she could possibly sway the LEA to her favor and away from Stuart's. Eddie's statement had completely thrown her off course of that though, and she had to remember to pick up her jaw. "Don't be so stupid." She finally replied, dismissing his comment in an attempt to get him to see how utterly ridiculous he was being.

Only Eddie wasn't giving in, he shook his head and took hold of her hand to ensure he had her full attention. "I can't be there without you, not now. Especially if it's not your choice, if you're forced out, how can I carry on like normal after that?"

As much as she appreciated the statement, she still wondered if she was living in a parallel universe where Eddie ever thought that was going to be a thing that happened. "You just have to. For the kids Eddie, and for me."

"What do you mean?"

Rachel took a deep breath, pulling one hand from Eddie's grip and lifting it up to cup his face, stroking his cheek tenderly with his thumb. "It'll all be worth it, if I lose it all but get to keep you. If I've been through all this but you're still there? I'm okay with that." She admitted, her eyes filling with tears at the enormity of what she was admitting. "What I can't have is you leaving with me during some grand romantic gesture, for you to hate me in months or years to come. I can't handle that, I just can't." She didn't know what it was about those 3 words that scared her so much, but they always seemed to be on the tip of her tongue without her being able to actually get them out. She only hoped that Eddie knew how she truly felt about him.

He lifted his own hand to wipe away the tear that had made its way down her face, moving to press his forehead against hers. "I could never hate you sweetheart." This was definitely not the way he imagined this conversation to be going.

"I can't take the chance. I leave if I have to, and you stay. It should have been your job anyway."

"I'm more than glad it wasn't." Finally at that, he smiled and was rewarded with one from her too. He pressed a kiss to her lips and decided to carry on discussing the next day, his plans for the future could be determined when they knew their next steps and what was happening with Stuart once and for all.

But Eddie didn't get the chance to speak to her, not before her first visitor of the day arrived. "Colin. Thank you so much for coming."

"I have to admit, I'm intrigued." The man entered her office, sat on the sofa and accepted the drink she offered him. "This is unusual, Rachel," he said as she sat down as well. "What was so important I meet you immediately?"

"There are two reasons," she admitted. "If I'm honest, the first is simply that I couldn't face a big group. The second is that we've known each other long enough that I'd rather you found this out from me."

He looked concerned. The pair may not have been friends in the classic sense of the word, but he liked the younger woman, admired her spirit and her ability to in changing schools around. "Are you in some sort of trouble?"

She took a deep breath. "Yes," she admitted frankly. "You asked me yesterday about Stuart Hordley's antagonism towards me."

"Tell me you didn't do something foolish."

She smiled bitterly. "Not in the way you're thinking. A few months ago, before the bids had even been accepted, he approached me. He'd found out something about my past, and attempted to blackmail me into getting his bid into the running."

Colin stared at her. "Attempted?"

"I refused," she said, avoiding his gaze. "At which point he threatened one of my students. The combination of his threats… I did as he asked. And then he asked for more."

He groaned, but remained silent as she explained everything that had happened, laying out quite plainly everything she had done, that he had done, the effects it had had. And the current situation, as it was. Colin leant back, digesting everything. "Why are you telling me this now?"

"Stuart has made it clear that at this point, he cares more about ruining me than any sort of self-preservation. I can't stop him, but I can get ahead."

He nodded, pressed his lips together. "I'm aware I probably don't want to know this, but it's going to be asked at some point, so it might as well be now. What was it he found out about your past?"

She closed her eyes, took a deep breath. There really was no going back now. "My name wasn't always Rachel Mason," she said quietly, looking down at her hands. "I changed it when I was nineteen. Before that… before that, I was Amanda Fenshaw and I… I was a prostitute."


	22. Chapter 22

Rachel waited and held her breath, too scared to make a single sound as she watched Colin take in the information she was sharing. He seemed frozen for a moment, no emotion passing over his face before he finally lifted his eyes back to her. "Did you just.. you were? .. I mean, really?" He didn't mean to insinuate she was lying, but this was never something Colin had considered. It wasn't a situation he was trained in when he'd taken his job with the LEA, so he really had no idea how to handle it.

But Rachel was prepared for it, knew she was handing out some hard to believe information and it would need a bit more to simply get some acceptance. So she began her story, in the same way she told Eddie.

"I was 17 and thing were bad at home, so I got the offer to make £1,000 a week. It took me 2 years to get out of it, and I got myself an education. That's why I'm here Colin. Because I care, because it saved me and I want to save others." She'd never receive the same support she had from Eddie, because she always had that anyway. They'd both harbored feelings for one another since they met, and he'd felt a sudden need to protect her from Stuart and his threats. But she hoped she had done the right thing in telling Colin, prayed that he wasn't going to force her to lay down and take whatever Stuart threw at her.

Colin had to take a large breath, digesting the information he was being given by a woman he had admired since she took over. He knew her beforehand, had helped her to get the headship when they knew Jack Rimmer was on his way out. So to hear this, to hear what she'd been through and how she'd come so far, was a lot to take in. Only it fueled his anger for Stuart, made him want to know exactly what it was they were facing and what they needed to do. "You were a child? And Stuart is using this to get his contract? What has he done?"

Quickly Rachel was filling Colin in on all Stuart had done and the threats he'd made. She included all about the dinners he'd forced her into and the way he'd used Bolton and other children as a way to get to her, knowing there was no point leaving anything out anymore. When she finished, she saw Colin still processing it but knew they didn't have much time left. "He's going to come here and tell my past to all the school. He doesn't care anymore, he just wants me out of a job. If I have to leave after this? Then fair enough, but the school and the kids shouldn't suffer for my mistakes." She finally sat upright, her posture strong as she spoke about her school, knowing it may not be hers for much longer. "What do we do then Colin? Do I have your support?"

The second it took him to answer seemed like an eternity. "You do. It's not going to be easy, mind you. And Rachel, I can't guarantee…"

"I'm not asking you to," she said hastily. "I just… need someone on my side."

His reply was instant. "You have that."

Her relief was instantaneous and written all over her face. "Thank you, Colin. Truly."

"I have some people to see." He stood, but paused before leaving, looking at her. On a whim, he reached out and took both her hands in his. "You had my deepest respect before this, Rachel. It has only grown."

Against her will, tears sprang into her eyes. It was hardly professional, but since she rather suspected that label was going to be difficult to keep over the next few days, she couldn't bring herself to worry over it. She managed to smile at him, her voice barely holding together. "Thank you."

Eddie paced up and down his classroom, too anxious to even attempt the begin the pile of marking he had on his desk, or to sit down, for that matter. Steph was perched on one of the desks, watching him. She had half a mind to say something sarcastic, or tease him about spending so much time with Rachel he was beginning to worry like her, only the words wouldn't quite come. She'd never admit it aloud, but her own anxiety swirled in her stomach, and she desperately wished she had a bottle of something strong to soothe her nerves.

The pair remained in silence, often glancing at the clock. It wasn't long before Eddie sat, fingers tapping against the desk. He changed position, crossed his legs. Uncrossed them. Surged back his feet, began to tidy up the room.

Steph didn't move. Eddie had piled up the books, stacked them on the shelves. Unstacked them, put them back more neatly. Glanced at the clock again.

"That's it, I'm going up there."

"No, you're not." Steph spoke for the first time. "If you attempt to swoop in, you'll undermine her. She has to do this by herself."

He hissed through his teeth, slumping against the desk. "I hate this."

"It won't be much longer," she said confidently, gaze flicking towards the clock. It had been too long already. Eddie stood up and began to pace once again.

He'd completed another six lengths when Rachel appeared, eyes pink but a smile on her face. "He's in," she announced when she was barely through the door, gripping Eddie's arm excitedly.

He took her into his arms immediately, picking her off the floor and swinging her around as she let out a gleeful cry. "What's next?" He asked as he set her down, gently sorting her hair from where it had stuck to her face during his antics. He noticed her expression then, realised she was finally smiling without holding back or feeling strained. He realised what a big deal this was for her, to have told somebody else and really put her life and her career on the line. She knew she had his support no matter what, but there really had been a chance that this was going to be her last day at Waterloo Road. He'd of fought tooth and nail for her, but he was so glad it wasn't coming to that.

Rachel took in the utter joy on Eddie's face and was overcome with emotion for him. He'd sat and waited for her, his support never wavering as she put her job and life on the line whilst telling Colin. He'd made it very clear that the outcome didn't matter, that even if she was thrown out on her ear, he'd still be there to pick her up. She found herself suddenly wondering why she'd never allowed herself to tell him her feelings, to openly share how much she truly did love him. She was just about to, when she heard a cough and realised they weren't alone in the room. As glanced over to Steph, her cheeks turning crimson as she seemingly had gotten lost in Eddie's eyes. She really was worse than the kids.

"Can we answer Eddie's question so I can leave?" Steph looked at her nails to emphasise her point, wanting to escape the love fest but also wanting to know what was happening next. "It's all cute and all, but I'm in for it when Stuart finds out."

Rachel paled at Steph's admission, knowing she was right. The embarrassment immediately faded and left worry in its wake. Steph had been her rock, always there by her side as an unlikely ally throughout this ordeal and she didn't want her to suffer for her own past actions. "He won't." Rachel spoke, her voice rising in volume and confidence as she stood taller. "You go to your classroom and pretend you haven't a clue what's been happening."

Steph was listening, but what Rachel was saying just wasn't adding up. "I can't pretend that Rachel, he'll expect more.. I'm not staying with him!" She practically shouted, enraged that Rachel was even suggesting such a thing.

Rachel shook her head softly, moving away from Eddie and taking a seat across from Steph as they both perched on desks. "Of course I'm not suggesting that. Just.. say you heard what he had done through whispers?"

"And say I don't want anything more to do with him?" Steph wondered out loud, thinking about if it could work. It's possible that he'd be too busy licking his wounds to worry about her, after all she had a feeling that he was only using her anyway. Well, he could add himself to the pile.

Eddie noticed Steph's mind was racing and he found himself walking towards them both, planting himself in between them and resting against his own desk. "He won't be allowed near the school Steph, and he won't do anything more. He's a lot of things, but he only does it for his own gain." He hoped his eyes were sincere, showing the promise he was making. "He won't hurt you."

Steph was somewhat pacified, and Rachel caught a look at the clock. "Colin is rounding up governors and members of the LEA. Pretty much, when Stuart gets here, he'll be greeted by a crowd of them with the knowledge that they already know." Only as she said it did she pale once more. "I just, have to convince a room to them to back me up against him."


	23. Chapter 23

Eddie crossed to her and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "It's going to be fine, darling. I'm sure of it."

She frowned, teeth worrying her lip. "I'm glad someone is."

"He's right, you know," Steph said, and received two amazed looks for her trouble. She shrugged. "I'd like to think I know you pretty well by now, Rachel. Whatever happens, Stuart isn't going to beat you. I'm sure of it."

Stunned silence. A lesser person would have shifted uncomfortably under their stares- she just raised her chin slightly, calmly gazing back at them. Finally, Rachel spoke. "That might be the nicest thing you've ever said to me."

Steph snorted in laughter. "Don't get used to it."

Overhead, the bell rang, and Eddie swore. "I have a class now…"

"Then we'll get out your hair."

"I'll find someone to cover it…" he began, but Rachel frowned at him.

"You will not. We're not disrupting lessons over this calamity- teach as normal, and I'll see you later." She risked a quick kiss, and Steph fell into step beside her as they left.

"You want some company? I don't have lessons till later."

Her first instinct was to decline, but then she paused and reconsidered. "If you don't mind," she agreed, half surprising even herself. But sitting alone in her office sounded like the worst idea possible right now.

As it turned out, Steph was rather good company. She skilfully turned the conversation onto the past, talking about the differences in their training and exchanging horror stories from their first years of teaching. It didn't distract Rachel completely, but allowed her to focus on something else enough that she no longer felt like a building had been dropped onto her chest. Eventually, however, Steph had a lesson to teach and Rachel found herself walking the corridors in desperate search of a distraction, not even attempting to the paperwork she knew would be a futile endeavour.

To her surprise, she almost fell over a group sat on the ground and the stairs. Bolton was among them, and half his year group it seemed. "What are you lot doing out here?"

Danielle shrugged. "It's for the enterprise scheme, miss. We want to go on that trip Mr Lawson was talking about last week."

Rachel frowned. "But it's not going ahead," she said gently. "There wasn't enough money for it."

"But this is all about enterprise, right?" Janeece interjected. "So we're trying to be enterprising."

Her brow furrowed, and she must have looked baffled, because Paul explained. "We're trying to come up with ways to raise the money ourselves."

Rachel's eyes widened. "That's a wonderful idea."

"Really?"

She nodded. "Absolutely. If you're not adverse to a bit of help, show me what you've got so far."

The kids all exchanged glances, and shuffled to make space for her to sit on the stairs beside Aleesha, happily handing her various bits of paper covered in scribbles. Rachel lost track of time as the kids bounced ideas and plans around, occasionally interrupting to veto something or suggest an improvement but otherwise content to let them lead. Of course, in a case of truly spectacular timing, it was in that positioning that a certain group of visitors came across her.

"Miss Mason." Colin greeted her again, surprised to find her practically lay on the stairs with students as she reached for sheets and whittled off ideas. He had no idea what the ideas were for, but she seemed heavily invested and had barely noticed the arrival of at least seven others Governors and members of the LEA. "Shall we?" He offered, looking around and hoping Rachel would direct them to a place they could meet away from interruptions.

Really, Rachel didn't want to leave. As she looked around the students she was gathered with, she realised this may be the last time she got to spend with them if this meeting went south. She cast them all a smile, meeting Bolton's eye for a second longer before standing up and holding her head. "You're all amazing." She didn't expand on her statement, mostly because of the lump lodged in her throat. But she knew Bolton understood, as he simply offered her a nod as she began to walk away.

"Yo Miss." He called her back, and Rachel turned slightly just before she reached the crowd of people waiting for her. "I'll be here, you know.. doing this. If.."

She nodded, not needing him to continue. He'd be there if she needed him as back up, and that thought alone brought fresh tears to her eyes. She didn't know what she'd done to deserve this job, with these kids, but she was given a fresh wave of determination at Bolton's words. She needed to keep this job, she was going to fight tooth and nail to make sure that happened. Rachel greeted them all with a spring in her step, then walked them towards the closest conference room she knew wasn't in use. With any luck, she'd have at least half an hour before Stuart's arrival, and then the ball wasn't in her court anymore.

Before long, she'd spilled her guts to the room and had repeated the same story that she had told Colin only hours earlier. "I know you'll think different of me, and I know you'll have policies and procedures to follow. But.. I love this school." She held her head down, barely wanting to look up and see the faces of disappointed people who had praised her only days earlier. This news didn't effect her ability to work and the changes she'd already made to Waterloo Road. She knew that was never in question, but it was the backlash they would face if this was to get out. She waited with baited breath whilst they all looked to each other for something to say, each narrowing their eyes at one another with hopes that someone else would be the first to speak. Only the first to speak ended up being Bolton, when he burst into the room after holding himself away for as long as he could. "You can't go anywhere Miss."

Rachel turned back to the group waiting and looking at her in confusion, blowing out her cheeks in exasperation before moving to Bolton and place a hand on his arm. "Bolton, now isn't the time.."

"No I'm serious. I'll tell 'em all. We need you here, I need you." He stood rooted to the spot, determined that he wouldn't be moved and taking on the room with his head held high.

"I'm sorry, what's going on?" Nigel asked, clearly sick of being kept out of the loop and receiving confused looks from other members of his team.

"Please excuse me, I'll just take Mr Smilie back to his classroom."

Bolton felt Miss Mason push on his arm again, desperate for her to move but he easily sidestepped her and moved closer to where the group were sat around the tables and looking to him for answers. "No, no. Miss Mason, I want to help." He offered her a smile, one he hoped was warm at least before turning away and focusing on the task at hand. He needed to do this, he needed to do his part to make sure she stayed in his school. "Mr Hordley told me, what she did, ages ago. He wanted me to tell the school, to get her sacked. You're not going to sack her, are you? Cause I don't care. She's a banging teacher. Dead good I promise."

The room went dead silent once more, the Governors falling back into the pattern of sharing looks and begging one another to speak first with their eyes, until Colin stood up quickly. "There he is now, Stuart is here."

Rachel didn't know what to do, if to stay put or run for the hills. She ached to hide away, to put her fingers in her ears like a child and pretend none of this was happening, only she couldn't. She reached forward for Bolton once more, desperate to get him away now more than ever. "Bolton, thank you." She cast another look at Stuart as he paced the halls and tried to find someone to talk to. "Go and get the others, go to Miss Haydock's classroom okay? Keep everyone that side.. please."


	24. Chapter 24

For a horrible moment, she thought he was going to argue. But then he side-glanced the group of adults, and nodded his agreement. "You deserve to stay, miss."

She smiled at him, squeezing his arm gently before turning him on the spot and giving him a light push towards the door. Colin came to stand beside her, watching him go. "He's certainly dedicated."

"He was on the verge of leaving school with nothing a few months ago," she said absently. "If nothing else, I did right by him at least."

Bolton's departure from the room had drawn Stuart's attention to the room, and she saw the moment he clocked them, his eyes narrowing slightly. Rachel tensed, in case he tried something with the boy but he barely seemed to notice him. She took a deep breath, hoping that this had all been worth it.

"For what it's worth," Colin spoke louder, glancing back over the room. "I stand with Rachel. That boy is just one example of the good she's done in this school, not to mention all her previous ones. I don't believe a couple of years from the distant past should overshadow that."

The ache within her eased slightly at his words. At least everything she had fought to achieve wouldn't have been completely in vain, not to everyone at least. Colin strode from the room, greeting Stuart with a handshake and expertly guiding him down the corridor, and Rachel recognised the delaying tactic for what it was. He was giving the people behind her time to process, to get over their shock before they had to react to anything else.

She could only hope it would mean something.

Bolton dashed towards the math's corridor, barely bothering to knock before bursting into Eddie's classroom. The teacher looked up, and when he saw who it was and how out of breath he was, he paled. "Alright, carry on with those exercises," he called. "Miss Shackleton, you're in charge."

He barely noticed her eyes widen as he closed the door behind him. "He's here?"

Bolton nodded, still catching his breath.

"He's early," Eddie cursed.

"Miss Mason wanted us to go to Miss Haydock's classroom."

Eddie frowned, beginning to walk. "She has a class in there. Rachel must have forgotten."

He didn't even have to go into the French classroom- Steph caught sight of him and poked her head out. "Give me two minutes."

It took her that long to set some work for her sixth formers, whom she hoped could be trusted enough not to wreck her classroom as she left. "How's it looking?" she questioned as she came out again. Eddie shrugged, giving Bolton an inquiring glance.

His eyes widened. "No one was calling for blood?" he offered weakly. Steph and Eddie exchanged a grim look, and settled down in the corridor to wait for someone to emerge.

Eddie had started to pace again, and Steph was just about to call him out on it once more when raised voices were heard and a door was opened. "You can't be serious."

He moved towards the door, only to soon have his arms full of Stuart Hordley, who didn't even seem to notice that he'd hit a solid block in his path. "You heard me, she's a whore!" He shouted back to the room, most of which had stood up when Stuart began his outburst.

Eddie decided to act then, took a quick look to check Rachel was okay before starting to move Stuart towards the main entrance. "That's enough Hordley, off you go." He took hold of Stuart with both hands, applying all his pressure to get his out of the school as quickly as he could before anyone else had the chance to hear what he was saying.

"Oh here he is, the knight in shining armour." Stuart dug his heels in and turned his head once more to the open room. "I wonder if Mr Lawson still pays for her services now they're shacked up together." He spoke even as Eddie's strength won out and he was soon screaming over his shoulder despite being moved very quickly towards the main doors. Eddie caught sight of the security and called them over with his eyes. He handed Stuart over and took a step back, hands now firmly at his side as he fought with himself not to swing another punch. With the attention of the security and also the receptionists, Eddie turned to them from the middle of the corridor. "He's never to step foot in here again, no matter what, okay?"

"Of course."

"No problem Mr Lawson."

He received the confirmations he needed and set back off to find Rachel, instead finding Steph still stood outside. She hadn't made it into the room, but the door still hadn't been shut completely and Steph was listening out of sight. He caught her eye and raised his brows in question, but received only a worried look in response as he too began to listen.

"We're in a very difficult position now Rachel, the facts still stand that you lied to us."

"I hardly-"

"And now, there's claims of you and Eddie? It's hardly professional is it?" Eddie wasn't sure who was speaking, but he quickly stepped back into the room and found Rachel back in front of them with all eyes on her.

"Now we've hardly been that unprofessional if nobody knew about it, have we?" There she was, his Rachel was back in full swing. He didn't need to interrupt, simply stood by and watched in awe as she took on the room with her head held higher than he'd seen her hold it in weeks.

"I've never lied about anything," she continued strongly. "I may not have disclosed certain information, but that was well within my right to do so. Say what you please about me, but do not accuse me of something I've not actually done."

"Your contract-,"

"Contains nothing about withholding information from my teenage years. I've broken no laws."

Steph nudged him. "Is that true?"

"Technically," he breathed. "The issue was always going to be the fallout from this lot and the parents."

A new voice entered the fray. "I think you're all missing the main issue here," Colin said loudly.

"Which is?"

"Until an hour ago, did any of you have a single issue with how Waterloo Road is being run? With Rachel's performance?"

Eddie found himself holding his breath at the long silence that followed, barely noticing Steph anxiously clutching at his arm. "No," the original voice admitted, and he wondered just who that was. "But the publicity this will bring on the school…"

"Can be weathered," Colin interrupted. "If we are all willing to do so."

"The fact remains that this school's reputation is already a difficult one-!"

"A reputation that has improved over the past few months, thanks in large part to Rachel!"

Eddie made a mental note to buy Colin a very, very large bottle of something. He was so intent on listening, that he didn't notice Steph's grip sliding away, nor notice her stepping towards the door. He only realised what she was doing when she pushed it open and stepped inside. "Steph!"

He had to make a split-second decision- either he followed her in, or continued to hover at the doorway and eavesdrop like a schoolboy. There was no contest really. He quickly moved after Steph, amused to realise their entrance hadn't even been noticed. Rachel was still stood at the head of the room, watching the group bicker with an inscrutable expression on her face. The movement of the pair of them caused her to turn, raising an eyebrow at them but saying nothing as Steph stood right next to her, arms crossed with an unimpressed look. "This lot are in charge of our school?"

Rachel shushed her, but Eddie knew her well enough to catch the flash of amusement in her eyes. It took another few minutes before someone looked up and spotted the newcomers, and suddenly they found themselves with the gaze of the entire room on them. "Who are you?"

"You all know Eddie Lawson, my deputy, and this is Steph Haydock, our French teacher. I'm not completely sure what she's doing here…" Rachel shot her a pointed look.

Steph gave them a flat expression. "Someone round here has to stick up for you and the kids."

Eddie finally had a face to put with the obnoxious voice, as he pinned them with a glare from his seat halfway up the table. "Excuse me?"

"You're all so busy arguing, none of you have thought about what this really all means," Eddie said strongly. "This is a school. It's no secret that the kids here are vulnerable. If you choose to vilify Rachel for her past, you're telling every single child here that change isn't possible. That their mistakes are always going to matter, that it doesn't matter what they do in the future if they messed up in the past. That's not the message we've been preaching to them, it's not what we do here. You're going to ruin so many of their lives if you tell them that."

His words apparently flew right over the man's head. "Miss Haydock, do we take this to mean you were aware of Miss Mason's past as well?"


	25. Chapter 25

Steph took a deep breath, looking to Rachel and smiling what she hoped was a reassuring smile. She didn't want to drop anyone in it, except Stuart of course. So she nodded her head and began to speak. "Mr Hordley used me, he tried to get to Rachel. I'm sure she'll have left that out, trying to protect me." She rolled her eyes softly, taking in for herself just how strange of a situation this was. She was fighting tooth and nail to keep Rachel's job, when she didn't even like her to begin with. Now she'd even go as far as to call then friends, would turn to Rachel if she needed a shoulder to cry on or someone to talk to. As long as she got to keep her job, that is. "But I didn't do what he wanted, I didn't use it against her. Because I know she was better than her past, I knew she was doing great things at the school and Waterloo Road needs her."

"Steph, you don't need to-"

Rachel interrupted, but Steph shushed her with wag of her finger, letting her know that she was going to keep speaking no matter what she thought of it. "I know I don't, but I want to." She confirmed, knowing she'd feel a lot better if she got her say and helped in whatever way she was able to. "This place was going to the dogs, it's got the worst reputation in Rochdale. At least, it had. Before Rachel."

Eddie felt it was right for him to step in to put his point across and pick up from Steph, knowing he had more to say and wanted the chance to do so before the governors had enough of them both speaking for her. "Do you know we now have kids putting us as their first choice from primary school?" He didn't wait for them to answer, was glad they were simply sitting and listening without interrupting them both. He moved closer to Rachel and touched the back of her hand, which was not noticeable to anyone else in the room, but he wanted her to know he was there for her. She looked at him with tears in her eyes, her eyes already red with tears he was sure she shed was Stuart was giving whatever speech he gave. "We've never been a first choice, always a place that the left overs get placed. Now we have parents coming to open days and asking about how to secure places. That didn't happen before, not until she came." He nodded in her direction and then turned to point at the door, where he knew they'd all watched Bolton walk out of earlier. "Bolton Smilie was on track for a life in prison or worse, but now he's going to leave here with his needed qualifications and a good head on his shoulders too. I could go on, she's saved this place and no matter her past, I'm proud to work beside her." He finished, pride in his voice as he finally got his say. He got tell by their faces that they were conflicted, and he was glad that they were considering all the options and not being rash.

Rachel cleared her throat and decided enough was enough, she hated waiting around and really couldn't take anymore big speeches on her behalf. "Look, it's not about Steph. It's not about Bolton. Its not about Stuart or my past, not really. It's about this school. If you think it's best, I'll leave." She addressed the room, receiving calls of shock from both Eddie and Steph, which she expected.

"Rach-"

"No, Eddie." She shook her head at him to silence anymore protests he was about to make. "We knew it was a possibility. If it's best for the school, I'll leave."

"Miss Mason we're not saying that." A member of the LEA answered her, sharing a look with his colleagues as they all deliberated what it was they needed to do.

"Then what are you saying exactly?"

"We know there will be opposition, if this is to get out."

"I can face comments from parents and the odd student. I just need to know I've got your support." Rachel replied bravely. As long as she wasn't out on her ear, she couldn't handle a few comments. They weren't threats, they wouldn't cost her her job.

"You've got mine." Steph added quickly, not wanting to leave a long gap of silence.

"And mine." Eddie spoke from next to her, confirming of course what she already knew.

Next, Colin spoke. He'd watched on in awe as Rachel tackled the room. She didn't defend her past actions, didn't make excuses but was honest about what she did and why. Nobody could argue that she was the best thing to happen to this school, and they'd be stupid to lose her over something that happened when she was still a child herself. "Mine too."

The silence was painful, as everyone else in the room exchanged heavy glances. Eddie shifted, so that he was stood slightly behind Rachel, able to grip her hand with his and hide the movement with her body. Her flingers clutched at him tightly, even as her face remained calm and almost impassive.

"I agree with them," Nigel, the head of the governors said eventually, and shocked eyes fell on him. He shrugged. "My concern remains with this school. As it stands, I don't believe relieving Miss Mason of her position will be of more benefit than leaving her where she is."

Rachel let out a shuddering breath, as murmurs of agreement rose up. Eddie's gaze flicked over everyone, not missing the fact that while not everyone had voiced their support, they weren't disagreeing either. Rachel's nails were digging into his hand, but only he was close enough to hear the way her breathing was shaky and hitching. He was so busy concentrating on her that he didn't notice the conversation in the room, until Colin loudly cleared his throat. "Then it's agreed. A generic statement will be prepared, neither confirming or denying anything but voicing the LEA's and the governors support for Miss Mason. In the likely case that Mr Hordley somehow makes this go public, that statement will be released."

Rachel felt like she couldn't breathe. Beside her, Steph had a death grip on her arm, she could feel the warmth emanating from Eddie he was stood so close and she couldn't quite seem to wrap her head around the fact that she wasn't being booted out of the school as fast as anyone could manage.

Eddie guided her off to the side as people began to trickle out, mostly in twos and threes, some giving her timid smiles before scurrying away, others not meeting her gaze at all. Colin did neither of these, striding up to her with a broad grin and holding out his hand. "I must say, if I'm relieved, I can't begin to fathom how you must be feeling."

She let out an unsteady laugh. "I'll let you know when I work it out."

The look he gave her was full of understanding and sympathy. "I do meant what I said in your office earlier, Rachel. Just as I have no doubt we made the right decision today."

"Thank you, Colin. Truly."

He glanced at Eddie, reached for his hand as well. "I'll leave her in your hands then- I trust you'll look after her?"

He gave her a proud smile. "Oh, I don't think she needs it."

Colin chuckled. "No, I suppose she doesn't. Until next time, then."

Rachel watched him walk away in amusement- the man was ridiculously old fashioned, and if anyone else had had that conversation she'd have gleefully cut him down and refused his sentiments. But that was just Colin's nature, he meant no harm and if she were honest, she found it oddly charming.

Eventually, the room was empty, and Rachel wasted no time in dropping to sit on the nearest table and exhaling shakily. "Oh my God…"

"You did it!" Steph looked gleeful, ignoring Eddie as he hastily shut the door to avoid sound escaping.

"I think you two did actually," Rachel looked up with a grin, launching to her feet and hugging Steph.

The blonde looked startled, and more than a little alarmed. "Steady on!"

Rachel had already released her and spun to face Eddie, who was far more pleased to have her in his arms. He held her tightly, his own grin fixed across his face as Rachel buried herself into his shoulder and he finally allowed himself to believe that this was over, and she was here to stay.

As she fell into his arms, she felt like an entire weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She wasn't aware that she hadn't been breathing for however long it had been since Stuart first entered her life, but it was as if she was learning how to do so all over again. It was refreshing, to be gulping in air without it rushing straight to the pit of her stomach. "It's over." As the words left her mouth, she felt suddenly hit with the weight of the situation and immediately lost feeling in her legs. Luckily she was still safely tucked up in Eddie's arms so he was able to catch her and stop her calling to the ground in a heap, because the energy fell right out of her.

Eddie caught her easily, taking her weight and moving them both to keep them standing, wondering for a second if Rachel was about to pass out. "Easy there." He soothed, wrapping his arms around her tight to give her something to focus on.

Steph watched the exchange, saw that she was interrupting on a private moment and decided it was the right time for her to dip out. "I'll leave you to it." She shared a look with Eddie, a soft smile as she finally realised that everything was going to be okay after all.

Eddie looked up and met Steph's eyes, grateful that she was leaving so Rachel would be able to really tell him how she was feeling. She always tried to put on such a brave face when others were around, but with him she truly let him see her weaknesses. "Thanks Steph, I mean that."

"Yeah whatever, buy me a drink later." She had a feeling she may need it, seeing as she still hadn't had the conversation with Stuart that was needed. That wasn't going to go well, and she only hoped that Eddie was right in that she was going to be okay. She had to look after herself, and more importantly Maxine.

Finally alone, Eddie moved them both and sat Rachel down, grateful that she was able to move her own feet and seemed to be regaining control of her own thoughts once again. "It's really over Eddie." She mumbled again, looking at him with tears shining in her eyes but a large grin plastered across her face.

"You did it." He added, sweeping down and pressing a hard kiss to her lips. The pride her felt for her could never be described, the way she had handled the room and seemingly had such an effect with her story was an emotion he'd never truly be able to describe.

She shook her head softly, keeping her forehead pressed to his as she locked eyes with him, a stray tear making its way down her cheek as she let out the emotion she really was feeling. "We did it." She'd never be able to truly thank him, for sticking by her and supporting her in the way he had. To have someone on her side, defending her and promising to never leave was something she'd never had before. She'd faced everything alone since even before she left home, and it was definitely an adjustment to not feel that way anymore. Knowing that there was someone there to share the burden and provide support? Well, it was a great feeling. "What happens next?" She asked quietly, aware that their entire relationship had started with Stuart Hordley and his blackmailing. They'd had the black cloud of his threats over them the entire time, and not that had completely gone.

Eddie grinned widely. "Anything you want."

That hadn't really been the answer she'd been expecting, but she found a smile spreading across her lips all the same. "Anything?"

"Anything at all."

She leant forward, sliding a hand around the back of his neck as she lowered her voice. "And if I want to spend the entire summer with you, somewhere no one else can find us?"

His eyes darkened, a pleased look flashing across face for a split second. "I think that could be arranged."

Rachel had no idea who had moved first, but the kiss was like berry wine- sweet and deep and slow and altogether perfect. It sent warmth flooding through her, curling in her stomach and out to the very tips of her fingers and toes. If they'd been somewhere else, somewhere more private, she would have taken great pleasure in exploring the feeling further. As it was, she simply enjoyed it, sinking into Eddie just as he did to her.

They finally parted, Eddie's fingers entwining with hers. "You're free, Rach…"

She giggled, joy exploding through her. "I feel like I've just come off a rollercoaster," she admitted. Her thumb stroked over his cheekbone, her expression sobering abruptly. "Eddie, thank you."

"What are you thanking me for? I haven't done much."

She scoffed, almost laughing. "Haven't done much? Eddie, this has all happened because you. I'll never be able to repay you."

"You never need to. You've done the difficult bit," he told her, "I've just played a supporting role."

She didn't reply, leaning forward to capture his lips once again. But just as their mouths connected, each became abruptly aware of giggling from nearby and jerked apart, turning around to see Danielle and Aleesha outside the classroom, hands over their mouths. Eddie felt his lips twitch. "Uh oh.."

Rachel wasn't quite so amused, faintly alarmed as the girls dashed off together. "Oh, that isn't going to stay quiet."

"Do you care?" Eddie asked, tilting his head. Rachel paused.

"It's not very professional."

He made a face. "Stuff professionalism." He swooped in, pressed his lips to hers and grinning when she exploded into laughter, happily kissed him back.


	26. Chapter 26

Rachel was completely right, it didn't stay quiet for very long at all. By the time Eddie and Rachel emerged from the classroom it was lunchtime, and it seemed students had decided to spend it indoors despite it being their last day before summer. Most were camped out in corridors, all with their eyes fixated on their two teachers as soon as they came into view. One call from Janeece and they erupted into cheers, hollering and shouting in the direction of the both.

Eddie was stood speechless, unable to do much more than wait for what Rachel wanted to do next. It was all fun and games joking of professionalism, but now they were faced with the reality of the entire school knowing about their relationship. With Rachel being so notoriously private, he had no idea how she was going to handle this situation.

Luckily for him, he was saved by Tom, Steph and Jasmine moving down the corridor at the same time and looking around in confusion. "What on earth is going on?" Steph asked, voice raised to be heard above the noise.

Paul delighted in being the first to hit the fresh wave of teachers that had come their way, bouncing up and down as he filled them in. "Miss Mason and Mr Lawson are together."

"Don't be so ridiculous-"

"It's alright Steph, there's no point in secrets now." All four heads whipped towards Rachel as she replied, none more shocked that Eddie. She caught his eye and smiled at him, delighting in the look of utter amazement on his face. "Come on everyone, it may be the last day but I'll still put you all in the cooler." She moved away from Eddie to herd the group outside, ignoring all their questions in favour of getting them out into the sun. They seemed to give up pretty quickly and broke off into their own groups as soon as the main entrance was in sight, but Rachel noticed Bolton hung back on his own. She let everyone else leave before moving towards him, gesturing for him to follow her so he could ask her what he so desperately wanted to.

As soon as they were out of earshot, Bolton asked. "So you're staying Miss?"

Rachel couldn't help but smile at the desperate tone to his voice, grateful for just how happy he was to see her still standing in the school. "Yes Bolton I'm staying."

A million emotions passed across his face, utter relief winning out as he grinned. Only he quickly composed himself, coughing and turning away. "Good." And then, he was off. His bad boy bravado back in place as he swaggered off and away from her now he'd gotten his answer.

"Are you okay?" Eddie came up next to her as she stood at the main entrance, watching students play and chase each other around the playground. He didn't put her arm around her as he wanted to, knew that would just be a step too far for everyone after the excitement of their relationship being discovered. But he stood close to her, close enough to provide support as their shoulders touched. It had been a heavy day for them all, and he longed to take her away and escape for the entire summer as she wanted.

Rachel continued to watch the kids, Eddie's presence beside her calming. She pondered on his question, before deciding not to think too much into it. "Better than." Her job was still hers, Stuart was gone for good. Summer was around the corner and Eddie was by her side. If this was a dream, she didn't want to wake up because this was the closest she'd ever felt to true happiness.

Eddie couldn't help but grin watching her. The time passed by too quickly and soon the bell was sounding, kids beginning to reluctantly stream back into school and she nudged him and, smiling warmly at him. "Come on Lawson- you have a lesson to teach."

"Like I'll get any teaching done with this lot," he grumbled good-naturedly. "It's alright for you, sat in your office! I've got to face them in an enclosed setting!"

She was laughing at Eddie as they walked in, through the throngs of chatting kids, the corridors crowded as they all lingered and tried to delay going to lessons just a little longer. Which meant she didn't see him until he was stood in front of her, a sneer plastered to his face. "Congratulations to the happy couple, I hear?"

"Stuart. How did you get back in?"

"Your security leaves something to be desired."

Eddie stepped forward, only to be stopped by Rachel's hand on his arm. "What do you want?" she asked calmly, surprising even herself at her apatheticness towards the man. His eyes narrowed.

"Oh, I just want to know how many of them you had to screw to keep your job?"

Around them, a chorus of gasps and a few nervous giggles arose, and it was only the sudden tightening of Rachel's hand that kept Eddie from lunging at the man. "Inventive," she said dryly. "What's next, calling me Amanda and telling me I'll be sorry?"

Even though her eyes never left him, she was painfully aware of the confused looks and whispers from the crowd around them. Even Eddie was side-eying her, wondering if she realised what she'd just revealed to a school renowned for its gossip culture. He looked infuriated, stepping even closer. "You think this is funny?"

"No. I think it's pathetic. You lost, Stuart, in more ways than one. Why don't you just accept it and leave?"

"You-,"

"Rachel?" Steph's voice cut across whatever he was about to say, concerned and wary. Rachel still didn't take her gaze from Hordley.

"Steph, would you fetch security please?" she asked politely.

"No, Stephanie, don't." Stuart had a faint look of triumph on his face, one last ditch attempts to dig the knife in for Rachel. Only he was the one unpleasantly surprised when Steph came to stand next to her boss, face expressionless.

"I already sent Bolton," she said calmly. "I thought we'd kicked him out already?"

"Apparently he likes us so much he wanted to come back."

Stuart's gaze flicked between them, confusion quickly becoming incredulity, a glimmer of anger underneath. "You know..."

Neither was sure which he was speaking to. Steph decided to take this one. "You're surprisingly gullible," she commented lightly, and his expression turned dark. He made as if to move forwards, but was brought up short when Eddie stepped into the gap instead. He didn't like to think about what the man was intending to do, but wasn't about to let if get that far.

"Enough. Let's go."

Just as he began to manhandle him down the corridor, security arrived, taking his other arm and forcing him out. "You think you're so clever, Amanda!" he shouted over his shoulder. "Spreading your legs for whoever you need to! I know the truth! Once a whore, always a whore!"

He was wrestled around the corner, and Rachel stood stony-faced, not daring to look at the expressions of the kids around.


	27. Chapter 27

There was a shocked silence, nobody daring to even move as they looked between one another. The students were watching their teachers to see who'd make the next move, but they all seemed to be frozen on the spot. Maxine had been coming down the corridor and had heard it all, so finally walked up to Steph. She looked angry, but a little bit scared as she finally caught sight of her. "What did he mean?" She asked, looking back to check he wasn't making a return. More for Steph than herself, if she didn't like him then Max would make sure that he stayed well away from her.

"I don't know Max." Steph answered. There was no need to carry it on, he hadn't said too much. Sure, the kids would be confused by the different names he used but he was taken away before he could really say too much. She had no doubt Eddie was about to invest in a real security system by the look on his face, and she couldn't agree more. She'd seen far more than her fair share of Stuart Hordley today and any other day. The secret was well and truly out now though, he knew she'd double-bluffed him. She only hoped he wouldn't leave the school grounds and wait for her at her home.

Maxine cocked her head, trying to read Steph's face and her reaction. "I thought he was your boyfriend."

"He was, before today."

"Yeah well, we don't need anyone else." Maxine didn't know the full story, she knew there was certain things Steph was keeping from her. But it didn't matter. Stuart looked like he was about to hit her, and that didn't settle well with her. Steph was the closest thing she had left to a mum, and she didn't want anyone else to get in the way of that. So she looked to Mr Lawson, who was still stood in front of Steph and Miss Mason as a way to protect them. "He won't come back right?"

Eddie heard the question was aimed at him, and it seemed to snap from where he had been completely focused on the door in front of him in case Stuart made yet another reappearance. He looked to Maxine, who had her arm around Steph now and was casting a worried glance to her headteacher also. Steph raised her brows at him out of sight of the teenager, telling him that they needed to go along with it. "No Maxine, he won't be back." He promised, he just needed to make sure he kept that. How Stuart had made a reappearance in the school made no sense to him, but they definitely needed some new security measures. He corridor was still full, and he needed to get things moving again quickly. The day had been full of far too much drama already, and he knew his chances of actually getting any teaching done were next to none.

Bolton had heard it all, could see the look of terror on all his teacher's faces. He saw Mr Lawson looking around and could tell he wanted everyone moving. But Stuart hadn't said anything too bad, hadn't completely outed Miss Mason's secret and told the school. He knew people were still confused, he was receiving some looks himself as they knew he'd worked for him. But it wasn't as if they could peace together the information themselves, so he knew that was good. He looked around for what next to do, wanting everyone to move away and just get on with the day. Miss Mason seemed stuck in her space, and Bolton turned around to his mates. "Are we going to do some maths or what? I wanna get home some time today, you know?" He started pushing them towards the classroom, and soon everyone has began to move again.

The corridor was full with noise, nobody caring anymore about what they'd just witnessed as they all spoke up about their summer plans. Eddie had never been more grateful for kids like Bolton and Maxine, who had saved the day in more ways than one. He called for his class to enter his room, then turned to Rachel when the corridor was empty. "Rach, are you okay?" She hadn't said a word since Stuart had gone, had barely moved a muscle and Eddie was starting to worry.

She shook her head, arms coming up to wrap around herself as she closed her eyes for a moment. Eddie stepped closer, hands on her elbows as he pressed a kiss to her forehead. "It's over. He's gone."

"Is he?"

"Yes," he told her firmly. She leant her forehead against his chest for a moment, grateful she was in flat boots and so was short enough to do so today.

"How bad is the fallout going to be?"

He shook his head. "Not bad. The kids were more confused- Hordley didn't say anything outright and what he did say could be construed multiple different ways. They'll have all forgotten about it by the end of the day."

He meant it, but she looked so uncertain, teeth worrying her lip and still holding herself so stiffly he worried she might snap. "Do you really think so?"

"I do. They weren't laughing, Rach, they all looked vaguely horrified. None of them are going to read into anything that man said."

She managed a small smile that didn't reach her eyes, squeezing his hand for a brief second. "I'll see you later."

"Rach- are you okay?"

She nodded. "Of course. Have a good lesson."

Eddie watched as she quickly walked away, arms crossed and he had no doubt that as soon as she knew he could no longer see her expression, it had become worried and anxious again. He was on the verge of throwing his responsibilities to the wind and going after her, when a loud crash followed by cheers sounded from the room behind him. He sighed, casting a longing glance in the direction Rachel had gone before he stepped into the classroom.

The sanctuary of her office was a welcome one as Rachel hurriedly slipped inside, murmuring a distracted greeting to Bridget on the way past. She didn't know why Hordley's words were affecting her so much. It wasn't as if she hadn't heard them before, or knew he was thinking them.

"You did great out there."

Rachel hadn't heard Steph follow her into the office, turned in surprise at the sound of her voice. "Did I? He got what he wanted." Her voice was bitter.

Steph shook her head. "No, he didn't. He wanted you ruined. You're the complete opposite."

Rachel was silent for a long minute. "He's going to talk to the press. There's no way he won't."

"Let him try!" she exclaimed. "Who cares?"

"I do!" Rachel rounded on her, looking upset. "I care! This is my life, and the last thing in the world that I wanted was for everyone to know-,"

She choked, her voice cutting off and Steph felt guilt swim within her. They'd been so focused on winning, on beating Hordley that they'd never stopped to consider the effect everything was going to have on Rachel. She'd turned away from her, arms crossed and Steph was sure that if she'd been alone, the tears would already be flowing. She swallowed, stepping forward and placed a tentative hand on Rachel's back. "I'm sorry. It isn't fair on you, none of this has been."

"Careful," Rachel choked out. "You're beginning to sound like you're being nice to me."

She huffed out a laugh. "Perish the thought." She waited until Rachel's breath had evened out, shoulders no longer quite so tense. "In all seriousness," she said quietly, "don't let him win this. Don't give him an inch. You're better than that."

Rachel looked at her, eyes wet but when she spoke, her voice was steady. "Thanks Steph."


End file.
